Pirates of Symphonia
by Meowzy-chan
Summary: After Kratos thought he was safe from a crazed fangirl, he get picked by the scourge of the seas... Pirates! 'It's captain Yuan, savvy' [YxK] [Collab with AnnaAurion123]
1. Driftwood

((A/N:  
**Meowzy:** Welcome to another fanfic collaboration! This time featuring Meowzy...  
**Sam:** And me! Yay!  
**Meowzy:** First off, we must start with the disclaimer.  
**Sam:** Yep, what she said up there. Okay, we don't own Tales of Symphonia.  
**Meowzy:** Which is too bad...  
**Sam:** -_sniff_- WHY?  
**Meowzy:** And it counts for all chapters to come.  
**Sam:** Yep... -_sniff_-  
**Meowzy:** Also, later chapters will have YuanxKratos. So if you can't stand guyxguy...  
**Sam:** Don't read!  
**Meowzy:** Precisely! Now, this fic is set in an Alternate Universe.  
**Sam:** That's because...  
**Meowzy:** Because pirates roam supreme!  
**Sam:** YAYNESS!  
**Meowzy:** Also, there's no Kharlan war or whatever. But it's pretty easy to understand once you start reading.  
**Sam:** Yep!  
**Meowzy:** Well, I think that's all. Let's get started!  
**Sam:** Oh! Oh! I wrote this chapter. Just wanted to say that.  
**Meowzy:** Yup. Kratos chapters are written by Sam. So... enjoy!  
**Sam:** Yay!))

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Driftwood.

"Kratty-chan! Come back, we have to get married!"

That damn girl, the president of my 'fanclub', was chasing me around…in a wedding gown! What the hell?

"Come back, Kratty-chan! I love you!"

Oh, Goddess Martel, strike me down. Sometime before she catches me would be good. I didn't love her, I certainly didn't like her! Hell, I wasn't even into girls! I kept telling her that, but she kept persisting! What in the world was wrong with this girl?

She had managed to chase me all the way from Palmacosta to Thoda Dock. Right now, I was cornered. Nowhere to go. I guess it's all over for me.

But then, an odd cat-girl appeared, pointing down the dock, and yelling "Washtubs for free! Washtubs for free! Great for getting away from crazed fangirls and meeting the love of your life! Um… You didn't hear that last bit! Bye!" And then she ran off. How strange… But those washtubs sounded like what I needed right now.

I ran down the dock and into one of those free washtubs, just as she caught sight of me. I quickly grabbed an oar, and started rowing away. I didn't get too far, though, since I had forgotten to untie the rope. Stupid me.

She got down to the edge of the dock in record time -I had to give her that- but I was already about eight feet away from the dock.

"Kratty-chan! Why?" She yelled, starting to cry. Trying to get me guilty. But frankly, I didn't really give a damn.

"If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times, I'M GAY!" I yelled at her as I rowed away from the docks. I put down the oars and just let myself float in the sea. Finally, some peace and quiet.

At least that's what I thought…

I was just relaxing, floating in the middle of the ocean, when I bumped into something. A big something. I opened my eyes, and looked up at a large ship. Not just any old merchant ship. A pirate ship, if the Jolly Exsphere flag was any indication. Then, a man with brown hair and pointed ears looked over the side at me. A half-elf…

"Look sir, it's a man in a washtub." Oh great, just what I needed.

"Wow, it is? I thought we just hit a piece of driftwood…" a voice said from beyond the railing. I am not a piece of driftwood! Rude…

Then, another half-elf, this time a woman with white hair, looked over the side.

"Oh my, it's a human! And a handsome human at that!" she squealed, a dangerous look in her eye.

Oh no, the trauma is coming back. How many times do I have to tell them? I'm gay, get over it!

Then she was getting pulled back by somebody and yelled "Noooooo! I need to study him more! And maybe date him some…"

In your dreams, crazy half-elf…

"Sis, stop flirting with the enemy…" The person, obviously her brother, said.

"He's not the enemy yet! I shall have him! Muhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

That statement scared me…a lot. Maybe if I grab the paddle and silently slip away…

"Hey, grab him before he gets away. He's seen us so therefore… He must become our hostage, according to the Pirate Handbook, Chapter three, Section two, Sub-section four, Paragraph eight, Sentence twelve, words eight through twenty." The voice, which had rudely called me a 'piece of driftwood', rang out… I was starting to hate that voice.

Next thing I knew, I was on the deck, being ogled by that crazy white-haired half-elf, her small brother -who couldn't have been more than twelve- slapping his face at his sister's antics.

Thank the goddess that the brown-haired half-elf shooed her away. I was about to thank him when the Captain strode into view. He was…handsome, to say the least. His hair was blue, and had a silky quality to it, and he had the cutest face… Wait… Bad Kratos! He just captured you! You shouldn't be checking him out… But I so want to… I wonder if he has a nice ass…

But he saved me from deciding if I should or shouldn't by speaking. "My name is Yuan the Blue Renegade. I'm the captain of the Seraph! Hi!" His whole crew slapped their heads in annoyance.

"Not very piraty, are you?" I asked him.

"What? I'm not very fruity?" His whole crew slapped their heads again. I wonder if by the end of the day, they have red marks on their foreheads.

"You're obviously not very good at hearing either…" I said absentmindedly.

"What's your name, human?" he said, with his arms crossed and a pout on his face, probably because I had insulted him. Oh, he looked so cute like that… Stop that thought right now, Kratos.

"My name is Kratos Aurion."

"And, why, my dear Kratos Aurion, were you in a washtub in the middle of the ocean?"

"Because I was running away from the president of my fan club who wanted to marry me." I guessed honesty was the best thing here, since they would probably know if I was lying.

"Hmm… A fan club… Well, that doesn't really matter now, since I decided what I'm going to do to you! You're going to be my personal pet! Why, you ask? Because I've never had one before and I want to see what it's like!"

Well, it could be worse. At least I can see if he has a nice ass now…


	2. The Seraph

((A/N: **Meowzy:** My turn! I hope you'll like this chapter, since I had lots of fun writing it. And thanks for all the reviews!))

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The Seraph.

Smirking widely, I glanced at the human who was still sitting on the floor of my deck, wearing a confused expression. He was positively cute. Best catch we had in a long time.

"Can he be _my_ personal pet too?" the white-haired woman asked, a fangirlish spark in her eyes.

"No. If he were your pet too, then he wouldn't be a _personal_ pet anymore." I spoke wisely. "But I might share him with you, if I'm in a good mood."

"Don't bother." The woman huffed, crossing her arms and looking away.

"Uhm… Excuse me? Would you mind-" the human began, but I cut him off.

"Doing an introduction round? Why, ofcourse!" I smiled brightly, not noticing the man's scowl. "So, as I said, I'm Yuan the blue Renegade. I'm the captain of this ship, and you may address me as master."

"If you think I'm gonna-" the human tried to object, but I wasn't even bothering to listen.

"This is my first mate, Botta." I continued, turning to the spiky-haired half-elf by my side. He gave a faint grimace.

Suddenly, two more half-elves strode onto the deck. One had dark green hair, that was held up on the back of her head with a pin. The other was male, and had red hair, that was covered by a white bandana.

"Captain, why did we stop?" the green-haired woman asked.

"Ah, excellent timing." I said, approaching the two and dragging them forward. "This is Kate, our navigator, and Harley, our helmsman."

"Uh… Hi." Kate gave a slight wave at Kratos, at the same time raising an eyebrow. Meanwhile, Harley stared at him with a blank expression.

"Why is there a human on our deck?" he asked, turning to me again.

"He's not just any human. He's my personal pet!" I said happily.

Harley groaned, slapping his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"Come on, Harley. You have to admit, for a human he's good-looking." The white-haired woman commented.

"Sis, would you stop that?" the boy by her side sighed.

"Oh, almost forgot. That's ruin Raine, and her little brother genius Genis." I said, running a hand through my hair.

"Interesting nicknames…" Kratos raised an eyebrow at them.

"It's because Genis is smarter than he looks, and Raine has an unhealthy obsession with old stuff." I explained.

"Hey!" Raine and Genis called in unison, slightly offended.

"Sir, you're not really serious about this?" Botta asked, staring up at me.

"What? You think I can't be serious?" I asked.

The crew looked away in response.

"Well, okay. So there was that time when I said I was giving you all a raise… And when I said you could have a holiday… But I'm serious this time!"

"Whoopteedoo." Genis said sarcastically.

"You know, as much as I'd love to, I don't really have time to be your personal pet." The human said, getting to his feet.

"You don't have much choice in the matter. We're pirates, you see. We pilfer and plunder, and also kidnap." I said with a happy smile.

"I really must protest." Kratos continued.

"Then you have three choices." I turned to the crew, who nodded.

"One, the keelhaul technique." Genis began. "You get tied to a rope that loops beneath the vessel, thrown overboard on one side of the ship, dragged under the keel, then up the other side. From bow to stern. So basically, in non-pirate talk, from the front of the ship, all the way to the behind. It will take more then a few minutes, and the rope will probably get stuck on barnacles. That means you'll drown and your clothes and skin get ripped. Very nasty."

Kratos shuddered heavily.

"Two, walking the plank." Harley continued. "You will be forced to walk off the end of a wooden plank extended over the side of the ship, thereby falling into the water to drown. Your hands will be bound, and we'll make you wear a silly outfit. Which means fun for us, and a slow, painful, humiliating death for you."

Kratos shuddered again.

"Three, taking back that protest right now." Botta said with a nod. "In doing so, you will not be killed or maimed, but you will lose your freedom as the captain's personal pet."

"Take your time." I said, examining my nails.

"Will the keelhauling include a silly outfit too?" Kratos asked, thinking things over.

"Now that you mention it… Yes." I grinned.

"I'll uh… Go for option three then." Kratos laughed nervously.

"Excellent choice." I grabbed the man by his arm, and started dragging him to my cabin.

"Whoah, where are we going?" Kratos asked.

"I gotta find a nice outfit for you." I responded simply.

"What? But you didn't say option three included a silly outfit too!" Kratos argued.

"You never asked." I said with a chuckle. "Besides, it's not silly." I opened the door to my cabin, and shoved the man inside. "Kate, Harley, set a course to our base. We're going home." I shouted.

Kate and Harley saluted, and ran off. I grinned, entered my cabin too, and started searching my wardrobe.

"Uhm… Gee. Nice place you got here." Kratos said with a nervous chuckle.

"Thanks. Ah, here it is." I finally found what I was looking for, pulled it out of the wardrobe, and held it up proudly. "You look like you're about my size, so it should fit."

"… I'm not even gonna ask…" Kratos muttered, staring at the pink french maid outfit I handed him.

"Get changed, and then report to Botta. You can mop the decks until I find something funnier for you to do." I pushed him out the door again, and slammed it shut behind him. Then I dropped myself in a chair, and covered my mouth with my hand to muffle a coughing fit.

'Just some random cold that lasted a few years.' I thought. 'Nothing to worry about.'

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((**Meowzy:** Yeah, I used Wikipedia to look up the definitions of Keelhauling and Walking the plank. I'm lazy.)) 


	3. Swabbing The Deck

((A/N: **Meowzy:** Aaaand it's Sam's turn again! Enjoy her chapter, and thanks for all the reviews so far!))

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Swabbing the decks.

Okay, a little summary of my current situation. I'm being held hostage by pirates, one of which is fan-girling over me, and forced to be their captain's personal pet. Plus, I'm being forced to wear a pink french maid outfit (which I must say would probably look cute on Yuan), and I have to do labor around the ship.

The only few good things in this situation are that I finally got away from that damn fangirl, and I got see if Yuan has a nice ass when he was looking through his closet. Which he does. Better stop that thought before it goes any further.

I looked around for a bathroom to change in, finding none. I wondered where I was supposed to change, just in the middle of the hallway? In your dreams…

"Hey…"

I looked around and saw the first mate, Botta, standing behind me. "Yes?" I said, trying to keep a level voice.

He coughed lightly, and then said, "The bathroom is down this hall, fifth door on the left. I'll be up on deck when you're done." He started to walk away, but turned around and said, "Don't worry. I think the captain really likes you…" then scurried away.

This is really a bunch of weird pirates. That could be a bad thing, but of course, it could be a good thing too.

I quickly found the bathroom and changed. To my dismay, the thing was too small, and you could almost see my underwear…I wonder if he planned this on purpose. No, he couldn't have. He was most certainly not gay.

I wandered out of the bathroom, onto the deck, where I was brutally attacked. By what, you ask? More like whom. Yes, I was attacked by Raine, the crazy half-elf from hell.

"Oh, you look so cute in that pink french maid outfit!" she hugged me, almost choking me to death.

Go away, you crazy half-elf, go away!

"Please…could you…let go…you're choking me…" I managed to gasp out.

She quickly complied and said, "Oh, my poor human! Did I hurt you?"

You've scarred me for life, does that count as hurt?

"No, I'm okay. Just don't do that again."

She smiled and said, "Does my cute little human want a make-it-all-better kiss?"

HELL NO!

"No, no, I'm fine. I'm fine, just don't kiss me!" I basically ran away from that crazy woman, and bumped into Botta.

"Raine?" he asked.

"Raine." I confirmed, and hid behind him as she ran by, saying, "Botta, have you seen my cute little human?" Botta shook his head, and she ran by, yelling, "GENNNIS! Have you seen my cute little human?"

To which I heard the reply. "You've got a nickname for him already?"

I stepped out from behind him and sighed in relief. "She's gone. Does she do this a lot?" He nodded.

"You're the fifth, I think. And every one of them took advantage of her so they could get off the ship. You have no intention of doing that, do you?"

"In hell! I wouldn't date her for anything." I shivered at the thought.

Botta stroked his goatee and said, "Well, you have to get to work. You get to swab the decks with this mop." He pointed at what I believe is the smallest mop in existence and just walked away. The thing was roughly the size of half of me. This just gets better and better.

"Okay, I guess." I said, walking over to the mop, and picking it up. It truly was the smallest mop in existence. And I had to swab the decks of this pirate ship with it. In a pink french maid outfit. With a white-haired banshee half-elf hunting me. I'm not liking this whole 'pirate' thing very much.

I went out to the middle of the deck, then realized that I didn't have a bucket, ran back to where the mop had been and got the bucket. Then I realized that I didn't have any water in the bucket, so I looked around for a water source, and finally just tied a rope to it and used seawater. You can tell that I didn't really care.

As I was 'swabbing', Genis ran by and asked me, "Have you seen my sister anywhere?"

"Why would I want to?" I said, not really caring if I insulted him.

"Good point. If you do see her, yell for me."

"Don't worry, I'll yell for somebody."

He laughed and ran by me. Boy that kid was energetic.

Then, all of a sudden…

"Oh, there's my cute little human!"

Oh, goddess…no, not her, anybody but her. That's when she jumped on me, making me fall down on my face, so I couldn't possibly call for help.

"You're so cute. How 'bout you and me disappear for a little while? Nobody will know, and I'd love to see how manly you are underneath that maid outfit."

Goddess, NO! This woman wants to… I shivered. There was no way in hell would I do that. But, if it was Yuan who was asking this…

"Raine, what the hell…?" Speak of the devil, there he was. Please, please save me.

"What do you want, Captain?" she said, disappointment in her voice.

"I want my pet back, that's what I want."

She sighed, and then finally got off of me. Salvation!

I stood up and stretched, my hands going above my head. Then, one hand was suddenly grabbed by lithe fingers, and before I knew it, Yuan was pulling me off to somewhere, amidst Raine's protest.

I didn't really care; all I could feel was the warmth spreading through my chest as Yuan gripped my hand tightly in his.

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((**Meowzy**: Eeheeheeheeh! Leave Sam a review for her wonderful chapter, okay?)) 


	4. Flanoir

((A/N: **Meowzy:** My turn again! Heh, I love this fic. It's so incredibly OOC. Enjoy!))

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Flanoir.

I dragged Kratos off to my cabin, and slammed the door behind me. "She never quits, does she?" I sighed to myself.

"Uhhh… Thanks for saving me." Kratos said slowly.

"You have to be careful around Raine. Didn't you hear what she's capable of?" I spoke, turning to face him.

"I heard that four other guys used her to get off the ship." He replied, shrugging.

"Yes, that too. But at a terrible price." I dropped my voice to a whisper, trying to scare the human. "They were never the same."

"Sounds like a ghost story." Kratos' eyes widened slightly.

"Well, it is pretty creepy. Rumour goes Raine is a bit… messed up in the head. She's an excellent fighter though." I added, smiling at a particularly nice memory of Raine stabbing two men at the same time.

"Uhm…" Kratos stared at me.

"So anyway, next time Raine is hitting on you, distract her with this." I grabbed a book from my shelf, and blew the dust off the cover. It ended up in Kratos' face.

"What's this?" he asked, coughing.

"Some old dictionary. It should keep her occupied long enough." I shrugged, and dropped the book in his hands.

"… Thanks." He said.

"Alrighty. Now, continue mopping." I held the door open, and waited for him to enter the deck.

"Great. More mopping." He sighed.

"Oh, and as soon as we get close to our base, I'll let you know. You'll need to change back into your normal clothes." I said reluctantly.

"Why?"

"Wouldn't want you to catch a cold." I spoke mysteriously, before slamming the door shut again. I quickly moved over to the window to see him shrug, and walk back to the mop he'd left behind on the deck. As he bent forward to pick it up, I had a very nice view of his underwear. Pinching my nose shut to stop an upcoming nosebleed, I watched him mop. Ahhh… Personal pets were a wonderful thing.

* * *

That evening, Kate reported to my cabin with the message that we were nearing our base. Well, the fun had to end sometime… I cast one last glance at Kratos in his maid outfit, before he headed for the bathroom to change. 

Just as I headed out onto the deck, I noticed it was starting to snow. We were getting close to Flanoir. It would be tough manoeuvring from here. But Harley had always managed to get us safely past the rifts.

"Shouldn't we turn back?" Kratos asked, joining me on deck and glancing at the small mountains we were only narrowly avoiding.

"Why turn back when our base is right in front of us?" I questioned, turning to stare in the direction the ship was headed. We were approaching a large cavern, hidden between the mountain range.

Kratos simply stared, not quite able to believe his eyes.

"Steady as she goes!" I called to Harley, who nodded.

Soon, the ship had entered the cavern, and I heard Kratos gasp in surprise. It wasn't every day a human got to see our base. And a landlover, at that…

The base consisted of a few houses, built into the inside of the rock. It also had three different levels. The bottom level was reserved for storing treasure, and the tavern. The second story was for the crew cabins. And the third story… was for the captain.

The crew disembarked, carrying assortments of treasure and leftover food. Kratos followed, still glancing around in a disbelieving way.

"Hey, don't just stand there. Help us unload!" Harley barked, shoving a barrel of apples in Kratos' arms.

"Yup. Pets have to be useful too." I added, unloading a pillow. I was known throughout the pirate community for my laziness.

Kratos gave a weak grunt, and started to help out. I knew immediately I'd get a real kick out of watching Kratos get all sweaty.

* * *

A while later, we'd finally finished unloading. Raine immediately approached Kratos when she thought I wasn't paying attention. 

"Want to join me in the tavern for a drink?" she asked, already grabbing his arm.

"Oh no you don't!" I shouted, stomping towards them. "I know what you're up to!"

"What? It's just an innocent drink between two friends." Raine said.

"Innocent drink, my foot. You're going to get him drunk, aren't you?" I hissed, already having figured out her plan.

She looked away, an irritated expression on her face.

"Kratos is coming with me, and that's final." I grabbed my pet's arm and dragged him off again, leaving a fuming Raine behind.

I led him all the way to the third level, and into my own, luxury cabin, where we wouldn't be disturbed.

"Damn that woman. Why doesn't she just find her own pet?" I grumbled, shoving Kratos down on my bed before turning to the window, to see Raine shake a fist at me from down below. I stuck out my tongue in response.

"It's awfully chilly here." I heard Kratos say, and turned back to see him wrap his arms around himself. Humans weren't very capable of adjusting to quick weather changes.

"Awww… Is my poor little pet cold?" I sat down next to him, and pulled him into an embrace.

"W-what are you doing?"

Ahhh… he was blushing! How adorable!

"I'm a pirate." I whispered. "I pilfer, and plunder, and take what I want." Then I leaned forward to claim his lips with my own.

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((**Meowzy:** Heheheheheheh... I bet you all can't wait for Sam's chapter.)) 


	5. The Eavesdropper

((A/N: **Sam:** Chapter five! Yay! This chapter is really good, since there's an implied lemon! Squee! And I finally get to shine through as the romantic K/Y writer I am! Whooh! So enjoy the chapter, my fellow K/Y lovers!))

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The Eavesdropper.

I froze. Was this for real? It sure did feel real. So I did the only thing that somebody like me would do in this situation.

I grabbed him and pushed him roughly down on the bed, crawling on top of him. I looked into his innocent emerald eyes. Innocent? Was he a virgin? Did he even know what he just got himself into? Maybe I should stop… I didn't want to hurt him.

But he soon drove that thought from my mind as he pulled me down on top of him and said in my ear, "What are you waiting for? Take me, Kratos." It was the second time I had heard him say my name. And I knew he meant business.

I didn't hesitate for a second as I kissed him, reaching to undo his shirt…

(Normal PoV)

Botta was standing outside, about to knock on his captain's door when he heard a scream from inside.

"AHHH! KRATOS! Nnnghhhh…"

Botta's mouth dropped as he carefully backed away from the door. Were they…? Goddess, they were, weren't they?

"Ummm, I'll come back later." He ran, muttering, "Raine is not going to be happy about this." He expected his captain to be a head short when Raine found out…

(Back to First Person PoV)

What happened after that, you don't really need to know about. All you need to know is that I woke up in Yuan's bed the next morning, wondering where Yuan had gone, since he had been nestled in my arms firmly since… Ahem…

I arose from the bed, stretching, and slipped on my boxers and my pants. I didn't really feel like trying to find my shirt since I believe it had been flung somewhere during the night.

"Yuan?" I called out, not knowing where he was. Then, I heard something that sounded like a muffled cough. It came from the bathroom.

"Yuan?" I called lightly again, this time knocking on the door.

More coughing noises, and a muffled, "Go away, Kratos."

He said my name again, which confused me to no end. He should be calling me 'his pet'.

Had I made him sick? It sure sounded like that, because with each cough was a sickening sound, which made me think of throwing up. I hadn't wanted to hurt him… I just… Urg, why am I saying this? He's holding me hostage on his pirate ship as his personal pet, and I'm _worried _about him? I should be glad that he's sick… but I'm not. I'm starting to think that there is something deeper than lust here. Maybe… I… I… I shouldn't say it…

I leaned my head against the cool wood of the door as the coughing from the bathroom slowed down. He would be out of there soon. But just the thought of seeing him was making me feel wonderful. Like my whole day revolved around him. I can't possibly… l-

I cut myself off from that thought as I weakly heard Yuan call my name, _again_. Why did he keep doing that? Could he possibly…? No, that's foolish. Last night was just our lust overtaking us. Wasn't it? Banishing those thoughts from my mind, I quickly opened the door, which, to my embarrassment, had not been locked before, and surveyed Yuan.

His hair was down from his ponytail as he was bent over the porcelain sink, hiding his face from view. He was struggling to keep himself up, and to make matters worse, he was _naked_. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse. But I quickly found my eyes roaming over his figure. For some reason, seeing him was making me want to do everything in my power to stop whatever was hurting him. Like I should really care, he was keeping me here against my will… but, I did care. Very much so.

"Kratos… can you get me to my bed?" he said in a voice that was almost a whimper.

Before I could stop myself, I had lifted him up bridal style in my arms and was carrying him to the bed. He wrapped his arms around my neck limply, emerald eyes staring up at me with absolute devotion. I found myself kissing his forehead, and murmuring out the most powerful sentence in the world. One that I swore to myself that I'd never say.

"I love you, Yuan." That was it. Either sink or swim, it had been said. And I felt better after saying it. He smiled up at me, eyes showing me what his answer was before he even said it.

"I love you too, Kratos." He said, snuggling into me, which I had to say felt good. Really good, since his bare skin was rubbing against mine. But, I wasn't going to do anything to him, unless he wished it. And I had to say; I think he was wishing that he had some painkillers.

I laid him down on the bed, tucking him into it, like a mother would do for her sick child. He looked like he was in misery. I gently brushed the hair from his eyes as I said, "Now, are you going to tell me what's wrong with you?"

"I-I… have a sickness. I'm not sure what it's called, but I have coughing fits where I cough up blood. And then I have trouble breathing after and sometimes I even pass out."

My eyes widened. He _was_ sick! Although, I didn't know what he had, but I knew where we could find out…

"Yuan, I don't know what you have, but maybe we should go to the Research Academy in Sybak. They will possibly know…" I said, standing up from the bed.

"Fine then. That means I have to get up-" he said, sitting up, but immediately came crashing back down with a yell.

"Yuan, are you alright?" I asked in a worried tone. He smiled at me, even though it was a pained one.

"No, my sickness is not acting up. My hips and legs hurt from… last night."

Understandable. It was his first time and I did pound into him pretty hard… That means he wouldn't be able to walk.

"I'll go tell the crew that you are sick and that you asked to prepare the ship to set sail for Sybak." If they will listen… I quickly looked around for my shirt, spying it hanging from his floor lamp's shade. Halfway across the room. Yuan realized this and blushed pink as I went to retrieve it and put it on.

"Wait, they might not listen to you!" As the old saying, great minds think alike. I smiled at him as I sat down to put my socks and boots on, stroking his cheek as I stood up

"Well, I'll have to take that chance." I walked over to the door, opened it, and got the scare of my life.

Botta was standing in the doorframe, apparently listening to our entire conversation. I gulped and I heard Yuan gasp from the bed, trying to sit up, and crashing back down.

"How… much did you hear?" I said in an uneasy voice.

"All of it."

I took on a pale color, I'm sure.

He quickly added, "Don't worry, I won't tell anybody about the Captain's illness and I already knew about last night, because I came to ask Yuan something when he… screamed… Did I just say that out loud?"

Yuan attempted to sit up once again, just to yell and crash down on his bed again.

"You… you heard?" I heard Yuan say in a embarrassed voice.

"Yes. I won't tell anybody though. So, you want me to get the ship ready, sir?" he said, effectively changing the subject.

"Yes. To Sybak, as you heard. I'll try to be out in the next hour. Kratos, go with him. He's going to need help motivating that crew."

I nodded, even though I was a little worried leaving him alone like this.

"Get better soon." I said, walking out the door, and shutting it with a snap.

"Come on." Botta said, motioning for me to follow him and took off at a run. He knew, as much as I did, that Yuan might not have much time left.

* * *

((**Meowzy:** All hail the implied lemon!)) 


	6. Lavender Hand Lotion

((A/N: **Meowzy:** Time for another chappie by me! Yaaaay! This one has a... slightly fillerish feel. I think... Ohwell.  
To Ana Paula92, it's not Tuberculosis. We considered that at first, but because that disease is too evil, we settled on something else. Not telling you what it is!))

* * *

Lavender Hand Lotion.

It took me quite a long time to get dressed properly. I was in so much _pain_… Don't get me wrong, it was worth it. I didn't regret what we'd done for a second. But… mixing that pain with my disease left me with a feeling of weakness.

Pull yourself together, man! You're a pirate captain!

Eventually, I made it out the door, trying very hard not to limp. The crew had gathered two levels below me, at the docks. They didn't seem too pleased. By the time I got to the second level, I managed to hear what they were arguing about.

"But why would we want to go to Sybak?" Kate exclaimed nervously. The place didn't give her any pleasant memories.

"Like I said, there's a rumour about a huge shipment of Gald." Botta mumbled.

"So what? We only just got here. There'll be plenty of Gald shipments!" Raine shouted, sounding slightly tired.

"But the captain has his eyes set on this one." Botta scratched the back of his head helplessly.

"Then why can't the captain tell us himself?" Harley argued.

"He's getting dressed. You know how he is. He spends fifteen minutes trying to decide which hair tie goes best with his shirt."

"I _heard_ that." I came limping towards them, trying to smile as normally as possible.

"Ah… S-sorry sir." Botta blinked nervously.

"Captain! Is Botta telling the truth?" Raine demanded.

"Yes." I said firmly, observing the group. "So why are you all still standing around here? That's mutiny!" I growled dangerously.

"Oh, well…" Raine began, looking away.

"We, uh…" Genis stuttered.

"Does it _have_ to be Sybak?" Kate exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Kate. I know about your history with that place." I said solemnly. "When we're done with this, I'll give you all some extra vacation time at Altamira. How does that sound?"

"Altamira? The pirate harbour?" Genis called happily.

"The very same." I confirmed with a nod.

The crew gave a loud cheer, and ran off in different directions to start preparing the ship. My eyes roamed across the base, searching for something.

"Where's my pet?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"He was giving us a big mouth, so we locked him in the storage room." Harley said, passing by me with a wooden crate in his arms.

"I told them to lock him in the crew cabins, but they wouldn't listen to me." Raine added, dragging along a large rope.

"Duh. You suggested going in there with him. We may be pirates, but we're not _that_ cruel." Genis called from the other side of the docks. He was soon hit in the head by an apple, thrown by his 'lovely' sister.

Groaning mildly, I turned and headed for the storage room. Typical of my crew. They didn't take crap from anyone.

"Captain, why are you limping?" Harley asked suddenly.

I instantly froze, forming some sort of lame excuse in my head.

"I bumped my toe on the nightstand." I lied, turning back to smile at him. He gave me a strange look, but didn't pursue it.

When I finally reached the door to the storage room, I heard bangs and muffled screaming coming from the other side. Slightly _annoyed_ screaming. I stood there for a few moments, amused by the wide variety of curse words Kratos knew, before opening the door. He instantly came falling out, landing facedown on the ground.

"Well, well… Look what I found…" I grinned widely, watching him push himself in a sitting position, rubbing his forehead.

"You have the meanest crew in the history of piracy." He said simply.

"You must not know a lot of pirates then." I said with a chuckle.

Kratos didn't respond as he got to his feet, glancing around.

"They're awfully motivated all of a sudden…" he commented.

"Yeah. You just have to know what to say to them." I stifled a deep yawn. "So, go help them out."

"Mean." Kratos mumbled, before walking off.

* * *

A few hours later, The Seraph had left the base, headed for Sybak. Until we'd left the cold Flanoir waters, Kratos couldn't wear his maid outfit. Much to my disappointment. So I spent most of my time on deck, staring at the sea. 

"Captain, are you alright?" Genis asked after a few hours.

"Hm? Why?" I turned to glance at him.

"Your cheerfulness has decreased with fifty percent. That usually means you're worried about something." The boy stated wisely.

"Heh, you really deserve your nickname." I smiled gently at the boy, resisting a strange urge to pat him on the head. "Thanks for asking, but I'm fine."

"You're lying, aren't you?" Genis asked.

"Maybe…" I spoke mysteriously. Then I looked up to see Raine chase Kratos across the deck. Feeling a headache coming on, I walked forward to put a stop to it. Again.

"Stand still and face me like the man you are!" Raine shouted.

"No!"

Kratos turned his head to glance at the woman nervously, causing him to trip. He fell forward, crashing into me. We both landed on the ground with a scream, and pain rushed through my body.

"Captain!" Raine shouted.

Kratos crawled off me, slightly pale. "Are you okay?" he asked with a worried tone.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." I sat up, holding my head. Okay, that really hurt.

"I'm sorry!" Kratos extended a hand, and helped me to my feet. Yup, more pain.

"Pet, can I talk to you in my room?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"C-captain… I wanted to…" Raine began.

"Raine, make yourself useful, and start peeling potatoes down below." I ordered.

"Ugh… Aye, captain." Raine groaned deeply, and walked off.

I grabbed Kratos' wrist, and walked back to my cabin, trying my very best not to limp or collapse. When I finally got there, and Kratos closed the door behind me, I dropped myself onto the bed.

"I'm really sorry!" he said again, sitting down next to me.

I mumbled something into my pillow in response. For censorship purposes, I'll refrain from saying what it was.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Kratos asked.

"Now my back hurts too." I groaned, pushing myself up with one arm. "As punishment, you're going to have to give me a massage."

"Does that involve clothes?" Kratos whispered into my ear.

"Not necessarily. But it does involve lavender hand lotion." I responded with a grin.

Kratos chuckled, and got up to close the curtains.

* * *

((**Meowzy:** Massage! That's so hawt! Weeeeeh! -_bounce_- Oh, Altamira is like... the Symphonia version of Tortuga now. Keep that one in mind, okay? Sam is next, and what a wonderful chapter it shall be!)) 


	7. Something In The Water

((A/N: **Sam: **Okay, this chapter has a near-lemon. Or, as Meowzy termed it, two pants short of a full lemon. If you don't like stuff such as that, don't read this chapter, or just skip the explicit paragraph near the end I wrote that would make Niffe proud. But if you do enjoy that sort of stuff, then enjoy it! XD  
**Meowzy:** Yes, let's all enjoy it! Meeheeheeh!))

* * *

Something in the water.

Yuan's naked body was snuggled up against mine, as his chest rose and fell in deep sleep. The only thing that could make this better was if I didn't have my clothes on. I was still gently massaging his lower back, rubbing in circular motions with my fingers that were dipped in lavender hand lotion.

Speaking of that, he smelled delightfully like lavender, having been massaged with it all over his body. At first I wondered why the hand lotion, but he said that it relaxed him. He had been truthful, since he had fallen asleep long ago. His arms were wound tightly around me, and I could tell he was dreaming about me because every now and then he would mutter my name and his heart would start to beat faster.

Then, he shifted slightly, muttering in his sleep. I believe he was having a bad dream, as he snuggled into me, clutched my clothing and whimpered, as if my presence would protect him from everything. He whimpered my name pitifully, and thrashed a bit, pulling himself against me harder. I replied with the gentle strokes of my fingers on his back, trying to calm him.

He finally settled down again, still clutching the back of my shirt like it was his lifeline. I vaguely wondered what his dream had been about. Probably about his illness. I also wondered if he had these often. How many times had he thrashed and turned in his bed, dreaming about his fate? I shall never know. But he need not worry anymore, since he had me.

Now since his dream was over, his face was serenely calm. I kept stroking his back with my fingertips, not wanting to stop. He mewed at me, like a cat, in his sleep, responding to the fingers on his back. He was so sweet and cute, especially the way his long aqua hair hung in his face, moving gently as he breathed in and out. It gave me a deep sense of peace in my heart as I held my lover in my arms, just him and I, together. I wanted this moment to last forever.

But of course, nothing could last forever. A knock sounded on his door. I sighed, not wanting to get up and answer it, but had to. I carefully pried Yuan's hands off from the back of my shirt, not wanting to disturb him. But I managed to anyway.

He stirred, and his emerald eyes opened ever so slightly. "K-Kratos? Where are you going?"

I kissed him gently on the lips and, my lips caressing his with every syllable, whispered, "Somebody's at the door. I have to answer it."

He nodded, still not fully awake, and shifted positions, so he could watch the door.

I walked over, and opened it, not really ready for what was behind it. It was Raine, bouncing on the balls of her feet, yelling, "AHAH! I knew you'd open the door! Now I can steal you!"

She grabbed me, pulling me out the door, and slamming it behind her. I was much too shocked to do anything, and before I knew it, I was at a broom closet, being forced in the open door.

I grabbed the doorframe and gritted my teeth. "Raine, stop this!" I yelled, hoping it would draw somebody's attention. I couldn't count on Yuan to save me this time, since he was in bed, and he would have to gather up all his clothes, and track me down.

Raine cackled at my comment and said, "Oh, don't worry my cute little human, I'll be gentle!"

My eyes widened, and I started to fight harder, bucking against her pressing me in. She squealed in delight as I rubbed myself against her, and realizing that I was only activating her sex drive further, stopped.

Taking advantage of my shock, she managed to push me in, shutting the door behind her. I was a goner.

She pushed me against the wall, me yelling, "Oh, dear goddess, what did I ever do to yo-"

She cut me off by pushing her lips against mine, and roughly deepening it. I physically shivered.

I felt her reaching for the belt holding up my pants and-

I heard the door open. She had forgotten to lock it -thank the goddess- and soon she was roughly pulled away, only to be replaced by a body I knew so well. The gentle curves and the same stuffy clothes, shielding me from her, as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Oww, you pulled my hair!" Raine yelled, almost in tears.

"You deserved it, you stupid wench. Get downstairs and peel every single potato on this ship."

"A-aye, Captain" She quickly turned on her heel and fled from the wrath of Yuan, who, as soon as she was gone, placed a kiss on my lips.

"Come on, we should get back to my bedroom." He said, grabbing my wrist and leading me back to his cabin. I noticed he wasn't limping as much, and could get around quite well. Good. He was getting better.

He led me back to the bed and we both sat down on it. Silence passed between us. Then, Yuan crawled onto my lap and kissed me passionately, trying to undo my shirt. What the hell was he thinking?

I quickly broke away, slipping out from under him, and crawled backwards away from him. "Yuan, we can't do this. You're sick and you're still not well from last night. Later."

"I can handle it, Kratos. I'm strong. I want you. Badly." He said, giving me puppy dog eyes and crawling towards me on the bed.

Great. Yuan is horny. Last thing that I needed right now. I wonder if seeing Raine almost molest me turned him on? Or maybe it was something in the water…

"Yuan, can't we think this… over?" I said, backing up more. I had to convince him, because I could feel myself giving into his will as he pouted at me, still giving me the puppy dog eyes. I backed up, my head hitting the headboard. Nowhere to go.

"Yuan, I don't want to hurt you!" I practically screamed.

"But Kratos, don't you want me?"

Oh, goddess, I… I want him. I want him! I want him so badly!

He descended upon me, kissing me passionately as I grabbed at his shirt, trying to undo the buttons as I thought up exactly what I was going to do with him in my passion-clouded mind.

He was furiously trying to get my shirt off, but soon abandoned that to drag his hands down my sides. I felt myself buck, and cry out his name. The little voice in my head saying this was wrong was pushed into the farthest reaches of my mind. Oh, goddess, this felt so good! I couldn't stop myself… I bucked again as we rubbed together. I gasped in pleasure and bucked again. It felt so good… He ground his hips into mine, crying out. so good… I started to lick him. He tasted so good! Yuan was toxic… Oh goddess, I was out of control! A haze entered my mind as I bucked again, and he slowly started to undo my belt, slipping his hands into my pants… And then…

Then a knock at the door. It snapped me from my intoxication of Yuan, and I hastily pushed him off me, going for the door. I quickly righted my shirt, which had almost been pulled off by Yuan, and buckled up my belt.

I leaned into the cool wood of the wall, gasping for breath and trying to calm myself down. I had almost… My goddess, I had almost… Banishing those thoughts, and taking a deep breath to steady myself, I opened the door. Nobody was there. Then, I heard a small cough from below. It was Genis.

"How's Yuan doing? He was a bit depressed earlier and you sorta fell on him because of sis."

I looked back at Yuan, who had his arms crossed, probably mad at the interruption.

"He's a bit… indisposed right now. Listen, can I go up to the deck with you for a couple of minutes?" I had to do anything to get away from Yuan when he was like this. What I feared most was hurting him again in his fragile state.

"Sure. Come on." Genis turned and marched off.

I quickly stepped out and closed the door, locking it, so Yuan wouldn't get any funny ideas. He might think this was cruel of me, but it's for his own good. After he comes down from his sexual high, he'll see my reasons.

* * *

((**Meowzy:** -_nosebleeding_- Darn you, Sam! That was way too good! Well, I'm next!)) 


	8. For My Own Good

((A/N: **Meowzy:** My turn again! Oh boy, oh boy! Oh, here's a little request from me, for all you readers. Should you encounter a fanfic on here called 'ToS Switch Glitch', be sure to leave the author a nice flame. That story was stolen from me, you see. I posted it on a forum, and someone called Squishie Muffins is trying to pretend that the story is his/her. Seriously, people like that sicken me.))

* * *

For my own good.

I sat on the bed, my arms crossed in an annoyed way. So close… I was _so_ damn close… And then Genis had to interrupt again.

A few hours had passed since Kratos left. He'd locked me in! I knew he was just trying to protect me, but… I couldn't help that I wanted him. He was just so damn good-looking. I was willing to go through a bit more pain if it meant… Well…

I raised a hand to my mouth as I felt another coughing fit coming on. Fuck! Damn disease… Whatever it was… It was completely ruining my life. Well, maybe the research facility from Sybak could cure it.

When the fit finally stopped, I found myself panting lightly. Without delay, I headed into the bathroom to wipe my hand on a cloth. That was the big problem with ships… No sink, and no fresh water. As I tried to get the blood off, I heard the door open at last.

"Yuan?" Kratos called.

"In here." I replied shortly.

Kratos appeared in the doorway, making sure to keep his distance.

"I'm not going to bite you." I sighed tiredly.

"I know. I'm just making sure." he approached me and stared at my hand. "Is that blood?"

"Obviously." I said, still trying to wipe it off. But it had dried slightly, making things very hard.

"I told you you're still sick. You have to take it easy." Kratos took the cloth from my hands.

"But I'm not one to sit still." I argued, glancing into his worried eyes.

"Once you're cured, you can move around as much as you want."

He wrapped an arm around me and placed a kiss on my forehead before breaking away again.

"Wait here." He ordered, heading out the door again.

Kratos returned a minute later, the cloth soaked in seawater. Taking my hand in his own, he scrubbed away the dry blood. I sighed again.

"I just spoke to Kate. She said we'll be arriving at Sybak soon." He spoke, hanging the cloth back on the wall.

"About time." I grunted.

"Are you still mad at me for locking you in?" he asked, smiling faintly.

"Damn right." I hissed, looking away.

"It was-"

"For my own good. I know." I interrupted him loudly.

How odd… He was the pet, and I was the master, though now it seemed to be the other way around. But I couldn't get mad at him, or force him to do anything. I didn't even _deserve_ the title of pirate captain…

Kratos, noticing my distress, gently led me to my bed again. He sat down, and pulled me into his lap.

"Want another massage?" he asked, wrapping his arms around me.

"Nah. It'll probably just get me worked up again." I said, nuzzling into his chest.

"You're such a pervert." Kratos chuckled.

"Hmm…" I closed my eyes blissfully. Even with his clothes on, Kratos was loveable. Meeting him must've been destiny or something. I wanted him to be with me forever and ever.

I was rudely snapped out of my daydreams by a knock on the door.

"Captain?" Kate called from the other side.

"Ah! Uh… Just a second!" I reluctantly clambered off Kratos' lap again, and opened the door. "Yes?"

"Did I interrupt something?" Kate asked, trying to peek past me.

"No. I was just reading a book." I lied. "What's up?"

"We'll be arriving at Sybak in a few minutes. But they don't take too kindly to pirates. So… I thought it'd be best to stop here, and use the rowboats." She muttered, looking at the ground.

"Yes, an excellent idea. Go inform the rest of the crew to drop the anchor, and I'll be out in a minute." I ordered.

"Aye, captain." Kate nodded, and ran off again.

* * *

A short while later, the crew had gathered on deck, and a boat had been lowered into the water. 

"Alright, Botta and Kratos are coming with me to find out more information about the shipment of Gald. The rest of you are to stay here to keep an eye on the ship." I ordered, pacing around in front of them.

"Aye, captain." The crew called in unison.

"Why can't Kratos stay here?" Raine asked sadly.

"Because you'll try to shove him into a broomcloset again. And we can't have that." I said with a scowl. "Plus, he needs to carry my stuff."

Kratos grunted softly behind me, already holding a large bag. Well, I couldn't leave the ship without some supplies, could I?

Botta led the way to the ladder and we lowered ourselves into the boat. It shook gently.

"We'll probably be back before sundown." I called, sitting down. Then I turned to Kratos and Botta. "Well, start rowing…"

"I have to row too?" Kratos asked, as Botta already grabbed one of the oars.

"You don't expect _me_ to row, do you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"… No, I guess not." Kratos sighed helplessly, and took hold of the other oar.

I leaned back lazily as the two started to row. Hopefully, Sybak would be able to determine my disease and cure it. Because from the looks of things, the symptoms were only getting worse.


	9. Chronic Hemoptysis Inofficium

((A/N: **Sam: **Hi! This chapter reveals what mysterious illness Yuan has! And a big old twist! But, before, I have to explain what a word used in this chapter means. Hemoptysis means the coughing up of blood. Rather morbid, but that's what the word means. Oh, and enjoy this chapter!))

* * *

Chronic Hemoptysis Inofficium.

Okay, rowing is hard work. If it hadn't been for Yuan's sake then I would have refused flat out. At least we didn't have very far to go. But the heat was unbearable and I was sweating. Of course, I bet Yuan was getting a kick out of that.

Looking at him, I could tell that he was. He was panting slightly and his eyes were roaming over my body. Great. I hope this doesn't make him horny again. I don't know if I could resist again… Okay, I wasn't really resisting very much last time. This time I would probably offer myself to him, because I really did want him. But not hurting him was more important that getting laid. Infinitesimally more important.

Looking behind me, I saw the looming city of Sybak. It wouldn't be long. After he was cured, we'd find the nearest broom closet. And I'd let him do anything that he wanted to me.

* * *

"Finally, we're here!" Botta exclaimed as he jumped on shore and beached the boat so it wouldn't float away on us. I clambered out, and Yuan right behind me. 

"So, where's this Research Academy?" Yuan said, looking around anxiously. I would be nervous too, if I had a disease that was slowly eating away at me too. Of course, I don't, so I don't really know that for a fact.

I'd been here before, so I led the way. This city wasn't too complex. The majority of it was the Academy. Then, I thought of something.

"Yuan, what are you going to tell the crew when we don't come back with the gald shipment?" I said, looking at him.

"We'll tell them that it was a false lead. I hope they'll buy it." Yuan said, trudging on.

"And if they don't?" I said, looking at his with worried eyes. He was acting strange.

"Then I'll tell them the truth." He said, looking forward and not meeting my eyes.

"Yuan, look at me." I gently grabbed his chin, and turned his face to look at mine, stopping both of us in our tracks. "It will be okay. We'll cure you and you won't have to worry anymore."

He seemed surprised I knew what was bothering him.

"Kratos…" he said, looking up at me with endless devotion and love, only meant for me, in his eyes. He leaned up, I leaned down, and our lips met halfway. We broke apart after a few seconds, and he smiled at me, deciding to latch onto my arm and not let go. I wasn't really complaining. Then, I heard a voice from behind us.

"You know, you two really are a cute couple." Botta said, smiling at us. I forgot he was there! Yuan did too, since he was blushing lightly. He looked so cute like that!

"But since this is really important, we should really get to the Research Academy. Which is right there." He pointed to the left of us. It was right there. We had almost walked straight past it. So much for me and my directional skills.

* * *

Yuan and I were waiting in the main room in some chairs, while Botta located a person in the giant place. Yuan was still nervous and jumpy. I kept trying to calm him down, but I guess that the thought of finding out what he really has, and if it's killing him or not, was freaking him out. 

Then, an idea came to mind. I didn't believe I was going to do this in public, but it would most certainly get him looking forward to the future.

I looked to make sure nobody was around, then leaned over and licked his pointed ear. He tasted really good. He shivered in delight and I whispered in his ear, "You'll get the rest later, after you're cured." I decided, just for good measure, or just because I wanted to taste him again, to lick him again. So I did.

He shivered again, and I found myself nibbling his ear. I felt him move closer to me in his chair, as if urging me on. So I kept on. At the end of a minute, I was mouthing his ear, scraping it with my tongue, and biting lightly. I was obsessed with his ear! But it tasted so good! I wondered if they made Yuan-flavored lollipops, because I would buy them. But why would I buy the copy when I could just taste the real thing?

He moaned in pleasure, leaning his head towards me. I know he wanted more, a lot more, but this was all I could give him right now. At least it was relieving some of our sexual desires. Although, I just couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched.

Then, a sort of small cough came from the doorway. I instantly broke apart from Yuan's ear, much to my annoyance. Ah, oh well, I could devote more time to it later. I looked up to see Botta with a sly smile on his face saying, "I leave you two alone for five minutes, and when I come back, you're basically raping the captain's ear, in _public._ Boy do you have guts."

I flushed bright red, and I knew Yuan was doing the same. Botta smirked at us again. "Well, come on, I found somebody who can examine the captain."

I quickly got up, helping Yuan up, and as soon as Botta had his back turned, I licked Yuan's ear again, much to his obvious delight.

"Later…" I whispered, and took off after Botta.

* * *

The female half-elf examined every single aspect of Yuan. Then asked him questions about his symptoms. Finally, she consulted a book, nodded her head once, and turned to us. 

"Well, I know what you have, Mister Yuan. It's an STD called Chronic Hemoptysis Inofficium."

"STD?" I asked. What the hell did that stand for?

"Sexually Transmitted Disease."

I suddenly felt lightheaded. "Can it…affect anybody he's had sex with?" I found myself saying, even though I already knew the answer.

"Once he's a carrier, he'll infect anybody that he is intimate with."

I grabbed the examination table to keep myself upright. I looked at Yuan, who had his hand over his mouth, asking me with his eyes to forgive him.

Well, now I knew what it was like to have a disease slowly eating away at me. It was absolute terror and fear.

* * *

((**Meowzy:** Hyuuu! That was awesome! Though the strange ear obsession was kinda creeping me out. Hm... Well, get ready for more plottwists and shocking revelations next chapter!)) 


	10. Sharing The Suffering

((A/N: **Meowzy:** My turn again! This chapter had a bit more potential, and apparently Kratos' response is against human nature. Eheheh... I'm sorry. ... Gawd, now I sound like Colette! Brrr...))

* * *

Sharing The Suffering.

I turned back to the half-elf researcher anxiously, dread filling my thoughts. I'd made Kratos sick? But… I didn't mean to! If I'd known, then… I wouldn't have… Damnit!

"It can be cured, right?" I demanded, shaking slightly.

The woman looked away, unsure of what to say.

"… Right?" I asked again, not getting a response.

I heard Kratos curse softly next to me. Did this mean I'm responsible for his death? I was so ashamed, I couldn't even look him in the eye anymore.

"Well, this is awkward…" Botta muttered softly.

"Wait… You two…?" It seemed to finally dawn on the half-elf, as she promptly fainted.

"Ah, whoops." I turned red, watching her hit the ground with a thud.

"Forgive her, she has a weak constitution when it comes to dealing with these sort of things." A second half-elf said, stepping out of the shadows where he'd apparently been standing all this time.

"I see." Kratos muttered.

"Anyway, your disease is cure-able." The half-elf continued.

Both Kratos and I sighed in relief.

"However..."

Both Kratos and I felt our stomachs plummet again.

"Oh, great, there's a catch. There's always a catch." Botta muttered.

"The medicine was stolen a few days ago, by a pirate who called himself Spandex Yggdrasill." The half-elf explained.

"Spandex Yggdrasill?" Kratos and I exclaimed at the same time.

"He's the guy who took my virginity!" I shouted before I could stop myself.

"He's the guy who killed my son!" Kratos shouted next to me.

"W-what?" We both stuttered at the same time.

A long silence followed.

"Nothing." Kratos mumbled, looking away.

"Same here. I said nothing." I added, blushing slightly.

"Yuan said that he was the guy who took his virginity, and Kratos said that he was the guy who killed his son. Sheesh, I think that disease might be affecting your hearing." Botta said as-a-matter-of-factly.

We both immediately shushed him, as the male half-elf stared at us in an odd way.

"How much medicine did he steal?" Kratos enquired.

"The entire load. It'll take us months to synthesize new medication." The half-elf sighed. "Even if his entire crew had this disease, he still wouldn't be able to use _all_ of it. He just took that much to annoy us."

"Then he'll still have some left now." Kratos pondered aloud.

"Any idea where he was going?" I asked urgently.

"Probably to Altamira. He'll want to celebrate that he's cured." The researcher said, after thinking deeply.

"I see. Thanks for your help." I hopped down from the examination table, and headed for the door. Kratos and Botta followed.

* * *

"Sir, you're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?" Botta asked nervously, striding after me. 

"I think I _am_." I replied, stopping in my tracks to face Kratos and him. "We're going after Spandex Yggdrasill."

"Funny. I was thinking the same thing." Kratos spoke.

"But, sir! Spandex Yggdrasill… He isn't known for his charity. He won't just hand the medicine over. And what are we going to say to the crew?" Botta stuttered.

"We'll take it from him by force. He owes us." I turned again, and continued walking to the docks. "As for the crew… I'll think of something."

"Ah… Sir!" Botta called, but I wasn't listening anymore.

"He's not getting away with this." Kratos snarled. He sounded just about ready to rip Yggdrasill to pieces.

"This is daft!" Botta exclaimed.

* * *

An hour later, Kratos and Botta had rowed the boat back to our ship without saying a word. I immediately ordered the crew to set sail for Altamira, and keep an eye out for Yggdrasill's ship; The Oracle. Ofcourse, they quickly asked why anyone would want to do something like that. I told them Botta would explain, before disappearing into my cabin to leave my first mate to fend for himself. 

I lay down on my bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Kratos entered, and sat down next to me.

"Kratos… I'm sorry. I didn't know my disease is… contagious." I said softly.

"That's okay. We'll both be cured soon." He said, running a hand through my hair.

"I guess…" I muttered, doubting that fact. If we couldn't find Yggdrasill in time…

"So… How did _you_ meet Spandex Yggdrasill?" Kratos asked, looking deeply into my eyes. It made me feel guilty…

"Well… It was a few years ago in Altamira. I'd just started pirating." I began, thinking back. "He offered me a few drinks, and eventually I got a little too… talkative. I told him about a treasure map I'd stolen from some merchants. He seemed very interested, but I didn't want to show it to him. Eventually, he dragged me off to a hotelroom and… You get the picture." I stared coldly at the wall. Yggdrasill had done more than just _that_. He'd done things that still haunted me in dreams. But I wouldn't tell Kratos about that. "The next morning, he was gone. And so was the map. That thieving bastard…"

"That's horrible." Kratos gently stroked my cheek.

"Not as horrible as your story. You said he killed your son?" I enquired.

"Ah… Yes." Kratos immediately looked away.

"How old was he?" I asked, sitting up.

"Eleven. He'd be about seventeen now." The human said softly.

"No way! How old are you now?" I observed the human closely.

"Thirty-three."

I gasped loudly. He looked atleast five years younger! I did a bit of quick calculating in my head.

"You were sixteen when you had a kid?" I concluded, dumbstruck.

"Yes." Kratos replied simply.

"Wow…" I wrapped an arm around the human, holding him close. "What happened to him?"

"Yggdrasill and his crew of misfits attacked our home town. All the buildings were ruined. I was one of the only survivors…"

I couldn't help but notice the way Kratos' voice cracked. And he had the saddest expression on his face I had ever seen. Sighing softly, I pulled him into an embrace. In painful times, you had to stick together and share the suffering.

* * *

((A/N: **Meowzy:** Awww... All you reviewers out there thought that this story was only meant for fluff, didn't you? Well, starting soon, it's angst-a-plenty. Muahahahah! Stay tuned for Sam's next chappie!)) 


	11. Destiny

((A/N: **Meowzy: **Looks like Sam didn't have anything to say today... Also looks like everyone loved Yggdrasill's nickname. Heeheeh!))

* * *

Destiny.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, not wanting to part. He made all the pain go away. I felt so safe in his arms, and his hair smelled nice. Like lavender.

Then, Yuan broke the silence with, "Kratos… if you had a kid, they why are you…?"

"Homosexual? Lloyd's mother decided to run off with another man, and dump Lloyd with me when he was only a few months old. I made two promises to myself that day. That I would never touch a woman again, and that I would never, ever fall in love or tell anybody that I loved them. The first one is intact, but the second one has been torn to pieces, as you know." I said, smiling at Yuan. I really did love him. And I knew he wouldn't do what _she_ did to me. Tear my heart into a million pieces.

I think it finally dawned on him how much I love him, because he looked stunned, and just said, "Wow… You… wow…"

I leaned over and licked his ear, biting the tip lightly. Here I go with the ear again. I should stop, just in case I accidentally turn his sex drive on. No repeats of that, please. But just a few minutes more….

"But then… why? Why me, of all people?" He said, inclining his head towards me. I think he really did like me licking his ear. But somehow it seemed to not turn him on, so I was safe. I hoped, at least.

But right now I had to answer his question, much to my dismay. I parted from his ear and said, "I just… loved you on sight. It was there from the moment I stepped on this ship, but I kept denying it. Could you believe it's only been about two days since we've met? It was, if you believe in things like this… meant to be. Like-"

"Destiny." We both said at the exact same time.

I blinked. He blinked. Then we both burst out laughing. Funny, I've never actually heard Yuan laugh before. It was like music to my ears. We collapsed onto the bed, lying in each other's arms, still laughing lightly. I've never seen Yuan look so happy, not including when we…ahem…

This reminded me of something that I had wanted to ask Yuan since this morning.

"Do you have… nightmares often?" I said lightly.

He seemed to ignore me.

"Yuan… answer me. Do you have nightmares often?"

"Y-yes…" he stuttered, drawing close to me like he had done when he was having the actual nightmare.

"What are they about?" I said, wanting to help him.

"They-they're about…" It seemed he couldn't bring himself to say it, since he started to shake and clung to the back of my shirt, like he had before.

"Your… our disease?" I said, correcting myself.

"No… They're… they're about…" he buried his head into my chest again. I racked my brain for anything that could do this to him other than the sickness. There was only one thing that came to mind. One thing that had also haunted me until I came to terms with it. Losing his virginity.

"Yuan… it's nothing to be afraid of." I said, trying to calm him down.

"You don't understand! I was so afraid… even though I was drunk I was so afraid… and he wasn't merciful in the slightest. He was rough. Oh Goddess, it hurt. It hurt so badly! I felt things rip inside me. I had bruises all over me. And I didn't even get a say! He practically raped me! Just ripped my clothes off and… and…" he started to weep. He had talked about it strongly before, but that had just been a mask. It had emotionally scarred him in ways I would never understand. That innocence I had seen in his eyes had been fear.

"But then why…?" Why was he willing to do it with me? Why did I turn him on? Why the hell did he go all horny on me this morning?

"You… you're different. You were so gentle, so caring. Even if we had done it that time when I cornered you, even though you were out of control -and I know you were, don't try to hide it- you would have been gentle. You won't force yourself on me, I know it. It makes all the difference in the world."

"Yuan…" I said, stroking his cheek. I leaned over to claim his lips in a fiery kiss when there was a knock at the door. And then, since the person behind it couldn't wait for me to get up, the door was opened, shut and locked before I could even make a movement.

Botta leaned against the door, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I thought I was a goner."

He looked up at us and said, "Am I interrupting anything?"

I looked over at Yuan. He seemed to have recovered from his outburst and his eye was twitching. I think he might have wanted that kiss very much. And Botta, as he always does, interrupted. Yuan was not a very happy half-elf captain right now.

"Botta…" he said in a deathly quiet voice. "Why are you in here?"

"Um, I wouldn't tell the crew the truth, and they wanted to beat me until I told them the truth. So I figured I'd just dodge in here for a few minutes." Bad reason, Botta. Very bad reason.

"Botta, I want you to get out of this cabin before I personally make sure you can never have children." Yuan hissed, making to get up. Botta was out that door so fast that he left a dust cloud.

Yuan settled back down into my arms, smiling, and said, "As you were, pet."

"Pet?" I queried. He's calling me his pet again?

"My new pet name for you. Pet."

That sounded oddly redundant, but it still appealed to me. I smiled at him, and leaned down to kiss his delicious lips.


	12. Walking The Plank

((A/N: **Meowzy:** My turn again! Poor Botta gets used for ALL the comedic relief. But we can't help it.))

* * *

Walking the plank.

A while later, I was dozing in Kratos' arms. I felt a sense of security with him. If anything were to happen, I knew he'd do everything in his power to protect me. It was a nice feeling.

I was rudely snapped out of it, though, when I heard shouting and cheering coming from outside. And there was no way to block it out. Deciding to do my job as captain for once, I sat up and glanced out the window. The crew was gathered on deck, jeering like a group of drunken morons. Stifling a yawn, I stomped over to the door and pulled it open.

"What the hell is going on here?" I shouted, taking in the scene.

The entire crew turned to face me, an innocent expression on their faces. And standing on a plank extended over the side of the ship was…

"Botta!" I exclaimed, staring at my first mate.

"Sir! Help!" He called, casting a nervous glance at the ocean below him.

"Is that my French maid outfit?" Kratos came to stand next to me, also staring at Botta.

"What the hell is wrong with you, you scurvy dogs?" I screamed, striding onto the deck.

"He wouldn't tell us why we're going after Spandex Yggdrasill, so we thought we'd force it out of him." Raine replied guiltily.

"You all get toilet duty for a month!" I shouted, pointing a finger at them. They groaned.

"And why is he wearing my maid outfit?" Kratos demanded.

Awww… He considered it to be _his_ outfit now? How cute! He'd really adapted to his life as a personal pet.

I had to say, the outfit didn't look too flattering on Botta at all. Probably because it was too small for him. _Way_ too small.

"Can't… breathe." Botta gasped. He fainted, and fell into the water.

"Uhm… Man overboard." Harley said, raising an eyebrow.

"Pull him back on board, now! I'm not letting that outfit go to waste!" I barked, placing my hands on my hips.

"Tch." The crew looked away.

"If you're planning a mutiny, I'll force you all to eat spaghetti through your noses! You ingrates!"

"Alright, alright!" Genis said, as the crew scattered to find a boarding hook.

Soon, Botta was pulled back on board. And luckily, no CPR was required to get him to wake up. A sandwich worked just fine.

"Get changed." I ordered, pointing towards the crew cabins with a scowl.

Botta immediately ran off, not daring to look at the crew.

"Honestly, what were you thinking?" I growled, turning to the crew again.

"We're not going to risk our lives, without knowing why!" Raine shouted.

"Yeah! So maybe you can tell us why we're looking for the most dangerous pirate in the world?" Genis asked, crossing his arms expectantly.

"That's a bit of an overstatement. _One_ of the most dangerous pirates in the world, maybe. But…" I looked away, thinking deeply. "Yeah, okay, he _is_ the most dangerous pirate in the world."

"You're trying to commit suicide, or something?" Genis enquired suspiciously.

"Quite the opposite." I replied. "Yggdrasill has something I want. And I think it's safe to say it's a matter of life and death."

"Yeah, right." Raine scoffed.

"Now get back to work!" I turned to return to my cabin, as the crew started to walk off.

I'd almost gotten away with it. _Almost_. But my disease just _had_ to act up. I froze in my tracks, raising a hand to my mouth. Kratos was the first to notice.

"Hey, look! What's that over there!" the human shouted quickly, pointing in a direction away from me.

Ofcourse, just looking away doesn't help. The crew immediately whipped around again when they heard me fall to my knees, nearly coughing my lungs over the deck.

"Yuan!" Kratos kneeled down next to me, grabbing me by the shoulders.

"Captain!" The crew ran over to us, all trying to get a good look at the blood that was dripping from my mouth, and all over my hands.

"Move it, you!" Harley roughly shoved Kratos aside, taking his place. My pet landed on his back, hard. I'd suspected Harley to have a 'thing' for me for quite some time now. Not that he ever stood a chance…

"Captain, what's wrong?" Genis asked, in near hysterics.

"He's ill! Duh!" Raine said loudly.

"Yeah, I can see that myself!" Genis huffed.

"Uhm… Did I miss anything?" Botta returned to the deck, changed back into his normal clothes.

"Obviously." Kratos snarled, getting to his feet again.

"Botta, did you know about this?" Raine demanded.

"I… Uh…" Botta glanced around nervously. "Don't hurt me!"

"We should return to our base, and let him rest!" Kate suggested.

"Ah, now, let's not be rash!" I said quickly, wiping my mouth.

"We're going after Spandex Yggdrasill to get the medication Yuan needs." Kratos spoke up suddenly. Everyone stared at him.

"That's crazy! How are you planning on boarding Yggdrasill's ship?" Raine exclaimed.

"His crew will slash us into pieces!" Genis called.

"Well, I guess we didn't think that far ahead." Kratos mumbled. "But I bet Botta has a plan!"

"Hey, don't look at me!" Botta raised his hands in defence.

"How come you told Kratos before you told us?" Raine asked me, slightly offended.

"Because the captain and him slept together." Botta replied, before realizing the grave mistake he'd make. Everyone gasped.

"I'll _kill_ you!" Harley shouted, jumping on top of Kratos.

"I'll _kill_ you!" Raine shouted, jumping on top of me.

"My poor, innocent, virgin eyes!" Genis shrieked dramatically.

"Guys! Guys! Settle down!" Botta called, trying to keep Raine from throttling me.

"Never! He stole my handsome human!" Raine screamed, as I tried to push her off me.

"He slept with the captain! That filthy human! I'll _kill_ him!" Harley shouted, pulling Kratos' hair with one hand as he searched for his sword.

"S-ship ahoy!" Kate called suddenly, causing everyone to look up. Genis pulled out a telescope.

"It's The Oracle! And she's headed this way." he announced.

"Shit!" I shoved Raine away in her moment of confusion and crawled to my feet. "Prepare for battle!"

The crew immediately ran off to get ready. I grabbed Kratos' wrist and decided to lead him to the weapon storage. He'd need a sword to defend himself with. If he knew how to use one…


	13. Silence Before The Storm

((A/N: **Meowzy:** Uhhh... Thanks for all the reviews so far, everyone! Sam is kinda speechless again... It seems...))

* * *

Silence Before The Storm.

Yuan had grabbed my wrist and started to lead me away from the main deck, as everybody scattered to get ready for the upcoming battle.

"Yuan, are you all right? And where are you taking me?" I asked as I trailed behind him. His hand was slippery on my wrist with his own blood.

"I'm fine, Kratos. And I'm taking you to weapon storage room. You need a sword."

Ah, I haven't handled a sword since I was a traveling mercenary. My skills may be a bit rusty, but I should be able to handle it.

We reached the door and he turned and said, "You can use a sword right?"

I nodded. For some odd reason, I'd like to know what he was thinking right now.

He opened the door and walked in. I followed; looking at the massive storeroom of weapons these pirates had plundered over the years. There was enough to outfit an army! I glanced around, looking for something that caught my eye. Preferably a broadsword with not too much wear and tear on it.

He was looking at me strangely, as if saying, 'Get on with it! Just pick one!' as if it didn't matter. But of course it did. Any sword master knew that it wasn't your skill, but the blade you wielded on the battlefield.

But of course, Yuan probably didn't know that.

He raised his eyebrow at me, as I looked around for the perfect sword. And I found it. It was lying on the floor near us, why I hadn't seen it before, and the scabbard was in rough shape. But it was the right length for my body, and the hilt was pure silver with golden inlays, betraying the craftsmanship of the blade.

I bent down and grabbed it from the floor, pulling it out of its sheath and looking at it. I was right; it was a finely crafted sword. And it was just thrown on the floor, like it was a piece of trash. I think I shall keep this sword even after this is all over.

"Can you even handle that thing?" Yuan said, looking the broadsword up and down. I could tell Yuan was still skeptical about whether or not I could handle a blade. So I did a little demonstration of cutting the suit of armor near me to pieces.

"Ah… eheheheh… I guess that answers that question…"

I could tell he was amazed by that look in his eye that I've gotten before. I quickly slipped the sword into the scabbard and tied it to my belt, its presence welcomed after not having a blade for… what, five years?

Then, I found myself being hugged by Yuan, who gripped the back of my shirt like he was having a nightmare. But of course, part of it was coming true.

"I'm scared, Kratos. What if…?" He shook dreadfully, making me feel absolutely horrible for him.

I knew what 'what if' he was talking about, and for goddess sakes, I was scared about it too. I wasn't going to leave his side during the entire battle. I wouldn't let Yuan be put through that again.

"Yuan, I'll be there the entire time. If he tries anything…" Let's just say that he'd be wishing he had been the suit of armor.

"I know… but I'm still scared."

That wasn't unreasonable. If I was going to meet the person who practically raped me again after the fact, I would be scared out of my mind.

"Yuan, I won't let anything hurt you. _Anything._" I said, stroking his blue hair. I was really truthful too. He snuggled into me, sighing. I wish we could just forget about what's waiting for us outside, and just stay in here.

Then, cannon fire sounded outside. Yuan lifted his head and said, "We have to go."

I nodded, and we both made our way to the deck. The Oracle had pulled up alongside us, and we were trading cannon fire. They were losing, _badly._ We had put about five holes in their ship. I'm not sure how many we had, but it couldn't be that much. This was too easy. And he was supposed to be the most feared pirate.

That's when it all went south. They boarded our ship. Maybe I should have knocked on wood when I said that this was too easy in my head.

During the battle, I stayed close to Yuan. I mean, really close. I wasn't going to let him out of my sight. Thankfully, the crew was doing their job for once, and actually fending them off without our help.

You could tell Yuan was nervous. He kept fingering his sword hilt, and stepping closer to me. And when one of his crewmembers looked up at us, he moved away. Then proceeded to slide back to me when their attention was diverted.

Then, the worst happened. Somebody fired a canon ball at us. I pushed him out of the way, and moved myself. It zoomed by where our heads had been a few seconds earlier, creating a huge smoke and dust cloud.

"Yuan? Are you all right?" No answer. "Yuan?" I yelled again over the din. Still no answer. When the dust cleared away, I saw why. He was gone. Just simply gone. What the hell?

Then, somebody grabbed my arm. I drew my sword and whirled around, pointing it directly at…

Harley. The person who wanted to kill me. It was tempting, but I didn't slice open his throat. I swiftly pulled back and he sighed in relief.

"Where's the captain?" He asked me, looking behind me.

"The cannon ball almost hit us, and when the dust cleared away, he was gone. I was about to go look for him."

"No, _I_'ll go look for him. You get on that ship while they're all distracted and get the medicine for the captain." He said.

Wow, that went well. I thought he was going to kill me. Anyway…

I swung down from the top deck where I had been, and looked for the easiest way on. The gangplank wasn't the smartest route, since it was near the fighting.

But one of the anchoring ropes on the other hand, was the perfect solution. I quickly loosed one from the rail and swung from one ship to the other, kicking open a porthole, and landing neatly in their cargo hold.

Maybe I was cut out for pirating.

(Normal PoV)

"That has got to be one of the most brilliant pirates I have ever seen. And he's hot too!" A green-haired woman said, leaning on the railing, having watched Kratos' daring swing. She ran for the gangplank.

"I've _got_ to go give him a welcoming party. Hee-hee!"


	14. Yggdrasill

((A/N: **Meowzy:** My turn again! And it's time to get the angst wagon rolling! Starting now it'll be angst, a bit of fun, more angst, angst, angst, heroicness, yet more angst... Neheheheheheh...  
Beware the almost-adult theme of this chapter!))

* * *

Yggdrasill.

The impact from the cannonball had left me confused. Disoriented. Which is why it took me a while to notice I was being dragged away from the battle by a large man. His red hair was tied back in a matted ponytail and his body seemed to be scarred on several places.

For a few moments, I was too weakened and shocked to fight back. Before I'd fully realized what was going on, I was thrown inside my own cabin. The curtains were drawn, causing the room to be fairly dark.

"I found their captain." The man grunted.

"Good. Leave us."

That voice… That horrible, bone chilling voice…

I pushed myself up to stare straight into the face of Spandex Yggdrasill himself. He was sitting on my bed, wearing a rather smug expression. Uhoh…

The scarred man turned and left, closing the door behind him. I was all alone, facing my worst fear… Kratos had promised to stay by my side, but it was a promise he couldn't keep. Gulping deeply, I pushed myself to my feet.

"You look familiar. Have we met before?" Yggdrasill tilted his head to the side slightly, eyeing me up and down.

"We have." I responded, trying to appear brave. "A few years ago, in Altamira. You practically raped me."

"You'll have to be a bit more specific." Yggdrasill grinned in an extremely creepy way, getting up from the bed and approaching me.

I drew my sword in reflex, holding it in front of me in defence. I wouldn't go down without a fight.

"You think you can take _me_?" he drew his weapon so fast I barely saw him move his hand. "Then, let's see you try."

In the fraction of a second, I had to start blocking Yggdrasill's attacks. Each one more violent and tricky than the other. I was a medium swordfighter, myself. But this man… he was a pro. As much as I tried, it wasn't long before Yggdrasill had swiped my weapon out of my hand. Without hesitation, he slammed me across the face.

Stars danced in front of my eyes as I staggered to stay on my feet. Yggdrasill took this moment to grab my arm and throw me across the room. I landed on my bed, narrowly avoiding hitting my head on the metal bedpost.

Blinking confusedly, I heard a soft click. Yggdrasill had locked the door. Which could only mean one thing. I hastily tried to move off the bed, but a hand grabbed my throat before I could do so. Yggdrasill sat down on top of me, his weight pinning me to the spot.

"Yes, I remember now. Yuan the blue Renegade... Previous owner of the Balacruf treasure map. Fairly flexible, and you screamed like girl." He said, a strange note of sympathy in his voice.

"Bastard!" I tried to punch him, but he caught my wrist before I even got close to his face.

"That's not very nice."

I raised my other hand to attempt another punch, but Yggdrasill let go of my throat to grab that one too.

"Not nice at all…" his eyes narrowed as he forced my hands above my head, holding them there.

I struggled with all my might, but he easily held me down with one hand, the other reaching to undo his belt. I squeaked in fear, trying pointlessly to get the man off me.

Yggdrasill leaned forward, using his belt to tie my hands to the bedstead. I shook my head fervently, whimpering under my breath.

"Please... Please don't!"

Not again! I couldn't go through that hell again. I surely wouldn't live.

"I love it when they beg." Yggdrasill smirked widely, opening my shirt with one swift ripping movement.

My eyes widened in fear, as I tried desperately to free my hands. But it only resulted in the hard leather cutting into my wrists. Yggdrasill only seemed amused by this, chuckling softly as one of his hands slipped into my pants.

I cried out loudly, struggling more fiercely than ever. Not again! _Not again_!

Yggdrasill quickly muffled my scream with one hand, while the other continued to… invade private territory. Tears started to run down my face. Kratos…

"Captain!" Harley's voice came from the other side of the door.

Yggdrasill looked up, slightly annoyed. He glared at the door, as if trying to send a deadly attack through it.

"Captain, are you in there?" Harley shouted.

I quickly bit Yggdrasill's fingers, causing the man to retract his hand with a snarl.

"Harley! Help me!" I screamed, before being slapped across the face.

"Hang on!" Harley had apparently started to bang into the door, trying to break it down.

"Dammit." Yggdrasill hissed, pulling his other hand out of my pants. I breathed a sigh of relief.

After a few suspenseful moments, the banging stopped. Had Harley given up? I glanced up at Yggdrasill, who smiled in a psychopathic way.

Then, there was a loud click and the door was slammed open. Harley stood on the doorway, wearing a very furious expression and holding a key.

"Where did you get that?" Yggdrasill asked, staring at the other key he'd used to lock the door.

"Get off him." Harley hissed, drawing his sword.

"You _dare_ use such a tone with me?" Yggdrasill slid off the bed, glaring at his opponent defiantly.

"I won't let you harm the captain." Harley stepped into the room, holding his sword in an offensive position.

"Then you shall die." Yggdrasill reached for his own weapon, charging towards him.

The fight between the two was almost too fast for the normal eye to follow. Swipes were exchanged and blocked, as both tried to find an opening.

"Do I see quivers of agony dance on your lip?" Yggdrasill asked, getting ready to make the finishing blow.

"It's laughter, caused by your feathery grip!" Harley retorted, taking advantage of the following confusion to stab the blonde.

Yggdrasill tried to move out of the way, but wasn't fast enough. Harley's blade pierced his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain and annoyance. He quickly hopped back, blood running down his chest.

"This isn't over." He hissed, darting past Harley with an almost inhuman speed.

"Captain!" Harley dropped his sword to the ground, hurrying towards me.

I wished he didn't have to see me like this… Tied to a bed, shirt half open… And my eyes were probably still red too. What a mess…

Harley hastily untied my hands, cursing under his breath. I quickly sat up, rubbing my sore wrists. An awkward silence followed.

"Where's Kratos?" I asked hoarsely. It was the first thing that came to my mind.

"… He went to Yggdrasill's ship to find the medicine." Harley replied shortly, looking away. "Anyway, the battle outside is still going on."

"I see…" I sighed tiredly. "I'll be out in a minute."

Harley nodded, and I got up to find a new shirt. The war was far from over.

* * *

((**Meowzy:** Neheheheh... Harley has a spare key to Yuan's room! -_giggles_- I couldn't help the Monkey Island reference. Insult swordfighting is the best kind of swordfighting.)) 


	15. A True Pirate

((A/N: **Sam:** Lot's of piraty action and quotes!  
**Meowzy:** Please, people, show your support by reviewing. It doesn't take more than ten seconds, really. Keep us motivated to write, okay? To those who _do_ bother to review... ZOMG I LOVE YOU!))

* * *

A True Pirate.

I stealthily sneaked around The Oracle, looking through every cabinet I laid eyes on. I had to find that medicine, I just _had_ to. Never mind about my life, Yuan _needed_ to live. I searched the entire storeroom to no avail. If I was a pirate captain and hid something valuable on my ship, where would I hide it?

Oh course! My private quarters. Wow, I was being quite stupid today. I needed to get it together, Yuan was counting on me.

I quickly looked for the biggest room I could find, and sure enough, down the hall from the storeroom was an ornate door, which was either the treasure room or Yggdrasill's private quarters.

Inside, there was every single luxury I could even imagine, and a few I could not. Silk sheets, fully set dining table, and oriental rugs. Although, I wasn't really here to admire it. I was here to rip it apart.

I tore the entire room apart, looking for a secret stash of anything that looked like medicine. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a little voice was saying that I was going to regret doing this later. But I wasn't really listening to that particular voice now.

Soon, I had torn the room apart, and not one vial of medicine. Then, I looked at the wall, where the picture of a safe hung. I stared at it for a few seconds.

I then wondered who was stupider, him or me?

I walked over to the picture and lifted it off its hook, and there was a safe embedded in the wall behind it. Great, now I have to crack a safe. The things I do for love. But it was so worth it.

I put my ear to the metal, and started to move the knob around. One click. I held my breath. Two clicks. This was way too easy. Three clicks. And the door opened. The combo to the safe was one, two, three. No comments.

Inside was what I was looking for. About five vials of medicine just lying there. I took two, one for me, and one for Yuan, just in case. And then I noticed a treasure map in the corner. I pulled it out and unrolled it. Maybe I should bring this with me too. Then I noticed the name in the corner.

In squiggly black writing was 'Property of Yuan the Blue Renegade'. This was…the map Yggdrasill stole from Yuan after…

I am definitely taking this with me. I stuffed it down my shirt and slipped the vials into my pocket when I got a feeling. A feeling that something was wrong… YUAN! I whirled around to make it to the door when it burst open, revealing a woman pirate with green hair.

"Draw your sword, you scurvy dog!" She said, pulling her sword from her side. She didn't waste words, did she?

I drew mine, and we started circling around the destroyed room. She said to me, "You have nerve stealing from a pirate, pirate!" That sounded redundant, but…

"Hey! I am not a pirate!" I said back to her. Or was I?

"You travel with pirates, you think like a pirate -I saw you swing in here on the rope-, and you most certainly look like you fight like a pirate. So that makes you not a pirate?" She said, smirking.

I was now, wasn't I? A pirate…that's what I was. And I wanted to be a pirate.

"You got me." I said, smirking back.

"Well, when you go to the underworld, you can brag that you crossed blades with Pronyma, first mate to Spandex Yggdrasill. And you can brag that you're a pirate." What a lousy comeback.

"Are you going to fight, or are you just too feminine to fight?"

That set her off. She lunged at me, and I blocked. We traded blows for a while; I was just biding my time for when she messed up. And she eventually did.

She tripped over a fold in one of the rugs and I disarmed her with a flick of my wrist. She looked at me and said, "You have got to be one of the most brilliant pirates I have ever seen."

I smiled. I've only been in the business for about a half an hour and I'm already getting compliments.

You know what I need though? A hat. Almost every single pirate I've seen has a hat. I think it was a trademark. But I don't have a hat. I need to get one. I wonder if Yuan has any spares.

And that thought reminded me why I was in such a hurry. I need to go save Yuan.

"This is the day that you shall always remember as the day that you _almost_ caught Kratos Aurion!" I said, dashing out the door and up the stairs to the deck. I liked this pirate stuff. I think I was meant to be one. But I still needed a hat.

On deck, I almost felt like celebrating. I had the medicine, only one rope swing away from victory.

That is, until I noticed that I was surrounded. Things were not looking good. I needed to get this medicine to the ship, now. So I did the only thing I could do. I took a bottle and threw it as hard as I could towards The Seraph, hoping, just hoping somebody caught it.

My arms were grabbed and pinned behind my back by a pirate with squinty eyes, and Spandex Yggdrasill stepped up to me, bleeding from his shoulder. Somebody had stabbed him. I could only hope it was Yuan.

"Knock him out, feed him some medicine just in case and throw him in the brig. I think he'll meet somebody there that he knows. Oh, and don't harm him, I think I'll want him for my personal toy. I can just imagine your hands tied to the headboard of my bed, like Yuan a few minutes ago." He said, smiling psychotically. My whole world shattered at that moment. Yuan… No… I said I'd protect him!

That was my last thought before I was hit on the head, as I welcomed darkness.


	16. Shattered Happiness

((A/N: **Meowzy:** -_sigh_- When are they going to fix the ruler? I hate having to go to html mode to enter some annoying code to get a ruler in my document... Anyway, another chapter by Meowzy! I kinda liked writing this one. Yup.))

* * *

Shattered happiness.

After regaining most of my senses and pulling on a new shirt, I headed onto the deck again. Things were not looking good. The crew was still fighting a battle they seemed to be losing. Yggdrasill's men were simply too strong. I drew my sword, ready to join in on the fray, but I suddenly heard a high-pitched whistle.

As Yggdrasill's crew started to lower their weapons, seeming slightly annoyed, I turned my head to see Spandex Yggdrasill himself. He was standing on the deck of his ship, thumb and index finger placed between his lips.

A few of his men decided to ignore him and continue the battle, but Yggdrasill whistled again. More loudly this time. Grunting irritably, they sheathed their weapons and returned to The Oracle. They were retreating? Why?

As my own crew dropped their swords tiredly, I narrowed my eyes. A familiar mop of auburn hair appeared from one of the doors of The Oracle, storming onto the deck.

"Kratos!" I screamed, but I doubt he'd heard me.

As Yggdrasill's crew crowded around him, I saw him throw something towards The Seraph. Then, a man with greasy blonde hair forced his arm behind his back. He'd been captured. I slowly walked forward, taking in the scene. This couldn't be happening…

Yggdrasill stepped in front of him, apparently saying something very amusing. I saw Kratos' eyes widen in shock, before he was knocked out cold. I… I had to get over there!

I stormed towards the railing, desperate to get to The Oracle, but I was soon held back by a couple of hands. I started struggling wildly, screaming at the top of my voice.

"Let go! I have to save him! We can't leave him behind!"

"We're sorry, captain." Kate spoke. She started to pull me back, aided by Genis and Botta.

Yggdrasill turned to face me, smiling widely. He opened his mouth to speak. I couldn't hear his voice, but I knew what he'd said.

'Until we meet again, Yuan the blue Renegade.'

As The Oracle raised its sails, continuing on its journey of terror, the crew finally released me from their grip. I let myself drop to my knees, shaking heavily. No…

"Nooo!" I shrieked loudly, burying my face in my hands. All the happiness I'd felt just twenty four hours ago was gone. Shattered into little pieces at the hands of Yggdrasill.

The crew backed away nervously, unsure of what to do. So they basically left me to wallow in my agony, scampering off to nurse their own injuries. It wasn't until a few hours later that they started to get worried, and Harley approached me.

"Uhm… Captain?" he crouched down in front of me.

I looked up, lowering my hands to stare at him through bloodshot eyes. "You drew the short straw, didn't you?"

"Ah, yes." He admitted. "But that's not the point. We can find you a new pet, if you'd like…"

"I don't want a new pet." I said hoarsely.

"Well… _I_ can be your pet." He tried again.

"No. There's only one pet for me." I looked away coldly.

"Ah, come on. Cheer up. He was just a filthy human…" Harley said. Big mistake.

"You don't understand, do you?" I screamed. "None of you understand! I _love_ him! He risked his life to save mine!"

"Then what do you expect to do? Go after Yggdrasill again?" Harley asked, a slight tone of mock in his voice.

"… Yes! Exactly!"

"Are you mad?" Harley gripped my shoulders, shaking me.

"What does it matter? Yggdrasill wouldn't kill Kratos yet. We still have a chance to save him!" I said, pushing Harley away.

By now, the rest of the crew had come out of hiding, staring at the scene before them, not quite sure which side to take.

"We're not going to risk our lives again!" Harley exclaimed.

"I don't need you! I'll go alone if I have to!" I pushed myself to my feet, heading for the rowboats. A long silence followed.

"Captain, wait!" Raine shouted, running after me.

"Are you going to try to stop me?" I hissed, glaring at her.

"No. I'm coming with you. I won't let anything bad happen to my cute little human!" she called, a slightly insane expression in her eyes.

"Raine…" I recovered from the shock, nodding curtly.

"W-well… I'm going too!" Botta stuttered, stepping forward.

"Me too. I owe the captain too much to abandon him now." Kate spoke. She ran ahead to join the group.

"I'm going to have to agree with the majority." Genis grinned.

Everyone turned to glance at Harley expectantly.

"You're all barking mad!" he exclaimed.

"Isn't that what being a pirate is all about?" Raine asked.

"Fine. Do what you wish. I'll join you no matter what you decide." Harley turned and walked away.

"Then it's decided! We're going after Yggdrasill!" Raine said loudly.

"After fixing the holes in our ship…" Genis added, breaking the mood.

"Ah… Right."

"Guys, thanks." I muttered, wiping tears of emotion from my eyes.

"Any time, captain! That's what a crew is for!" Kate said happily.

"In that case… Get to work, you scurvy dogs!" I shouted.

Everyone immediately scampered off into different directions. I smiled sadly, placing my hands on my hips as I glanced around the deck. Something shiny caught my eye. I wandered over to it. Lying in a bundle of ropes, completely in one piece, was the bottle of medicine. The sunlight reflected off it brightly. Kratos… had succeeded.

I picked it up, gripping it tightly with one hand. I was filled with determination.

'Don't worry, Kratos. We're coming after you.'


	17. Reunion

((A/N: **Meowzy: **Sam refuses to give an author's note, so... Uh... I'll have to do it in her place. Sorry it took so long to upload. I was away for a few days. Enjoy, and... Uhh... Yeah, that's it.))

* * *

Reunion.

I slowly regained consciousness, lying on a hard floor, probably stone. I was slightly aware of somebody staring at me, then them scurrying over to help me get up. I held my head lightly where it had been hit and turned to thank whomever it was when the words caught in my throat.

Staring back at me were those deep chocolate brown eyes that I hadn't seen in over six years…

I managed to stammer out "L-Lloyd?" before a shot of pain through my head made me wince.

"Dad! Are you all right?" He said, supporting me from falling with a hand on my back. What the hell did they whack me with? A brick?

"I've been better…" I said, and then looked at him. I felt tears come to my eyes as I said, "You're alive Lloyd… I though you were dead." I said, as I hugged him. All these years, he had been alive…

"I though you were dead too! But we're together again, so that's all that matters." He said, returning the embrace. I almost cried.

"Yes, we're together again. That's all that matters." I said, seeming happy on the outside. But inside, I was slowly dying. This wasn't all that matters. Yuan… I said I'd protect him; make sure he didn't have to go through that again… I didn't. He was probably dead, either having been killed by Yggdrasill, or having killed himself, not being able to take the emotional pain. Even though I was with my son, I felt lonely. Yuan…

A single tear dripped down from my eye, making a wet spot on Lloyd's shirt. He noticed this and looked up.

"Dad, you're…crying?" I shook my head furiously as to say no, but the tears just kept coming. I muffled my sobs with my hand, tears streaking down my face.

"Dad's what's wrong?" Lloyd said, trying to get out of me why I was crying. He evidentially knew I wasn't because we were together again.

"I'll tell you why… He just lost his lover to my hands. Wouldn't you be sad too?" It was him.

"Yggdrasill! What the hell do you want?" Lloyd said. I looked up through tear-blurred eyes, to see Yggdrasill grinning psychopathically at me.

"I want to torture my new plaything. See how long it takes him to break and beg for it." He said.

He was wasting his time. I would never beg for him to rape me, even how much he tormented me.

"So, what are you going to do with me? Light me on fire or something?" I said, wiping my eyes with my hand. I would never break. I would rather die then be unfaithful to my Yuan. Even if he is…dead.

"No, there are much worse things than death. Mental torture for one. And I know just the thing to do it with."

If he was going to do it with the time he raided my village, then he wasn't going to get far. It didn't haunt me anymore…

"I remember that day…"

I knew he was going to do that! It's not going to work!

"It was quite rainy in Altamira, and I took shelter within an old musty bar."

Wait, Altamira, old musty bar…No, he wasn't going to…

"I met the strangest character there. Already very tipsy, and he started to talk to me. Well, he seemed interesting, so I bought him some more drinks. Finally, he got too talkative and decided to tell me about a map he found. 'He was a pirate' he told me. By the name of…" He paused for effect.

Lloyd wasn't quite getting the story, as he looked from me to Yggdrasill, who was smiling wickedly. But I knew exactly what he was talking about. I was shaking, from head to foot, not wanting to hear what he was probably going to say next.

"Yuan the blue Renegade." He said, knowing he had struck a nerve.

Lloyd had cocked his head in confusion, still looking at Yggdrasill. He looked to me, as if I had the answers. Which I did, but I was in no shape to tell him at this moment.

"Well, I thought that I could get this map… I kept giving him drinks, but he wouldn't give it to me. So finally, I dragged him off to a hotel room, thinking, 'Aha! I can get a map… and get some action too!' When I pushed him down onto the bed, he told me that he was a virgin, and he wanted me to go easy on him. He was scared, I could tell. And I took advantage of that to ravage him. He was so drunk, he couldn't even fight back! He screamed like a girl, you know… I guess that's because I didn't use anything for lubrication, but oh well… I doubt it would have made any difference, since it always hurts the first few times… I wonder-"

"STOP!" I screamed. I couldn't take this anymore. Yuan… he went through that… twice. I didn't stop it, I didn't help him…Yuan… it was all my fault… all the destiny in the world couldn't help now. I had basically condemned him.

"So, are you ready to surrender yourself to me?"

He was seriously asking that? After all he had done to me?

"I can make the pain go away. I'll never ever talk about this again. If you don't I'll come in every day, just getting more and more explicit until I tell you everything down to the last moan."

"You won't get what you want. It will just make me even more determined not to give into you. In hell will I let you use me as a sex toy." I said, staring him down.

His face registered surprise, then he snapped his fingers, and two of his pirates came running.

"I want you to dress him up in that maid outfit I have, tie him to my bed, and then never speak of this to anyone again." He said, walking away, fury evident in every step. Then both nodded and opened the cell door, grabbing me and pulling me out.

"Dad!" Lloyd yelled, only to have the door slammed in his face. I looked back at him. He was crying now. Oh, Lloyd, I'm sorry.

The next few minutes were a blur, but I finally got back my senses, as my wrists were being tied firmly to Yggdrasill's headboard with a length of rope, him standing a corner, watching it all.

They finally decided the rope was tight enough, and left. Yggdrasill locked the door, and climbed onto me. I froze up at the feel of his body on mine.

"Why are you so tense, my plaything? Don't worry, I'll be rough."

A single tear slid down my face. Yuan… I'm sorry…

* * *

((**Meowzy:** Will Yuan make it in time? Maybe he will, maybe he won't! Stay tuned! -_evil cackle_-)) 


	18. Invading The Oracle

((A/N: **Meowzy:** Alrighty! Another chappie by me! Yaaay!))

* * *

Invading The Oracle.

"Ship ahoy!"

I looked up at Genis, who was standing in the crow's next, holding a telescope and peering into the distance. A ship was looming on the horizon.

"Well?" I called.

"It's The Oracle." He confirmed, pocketing the telescope again. He quickly grabbed a rope and let himself slide onto the deck.

"Battle stations!" I roared, causing the rest of the crew to look up. "Man the cannons! Yggdrasill probably still hasn't recovered from our last attack and we need to take advantage of that!"

Kate, Raine, Botta and Genis quickly headed down below to start loading the cannons. I unsheathed my sword, balancing it in my hands. This was it. Either sink or swim. Save Kratos, or die trying. Hopefully, the rest of my crew would be spared. I'd never forgive myself if they got hurt too.

Soon, we were having another showdown with The Oracle. Our cannons were extremely superior to theirs and it seemed like they'd still been in the middle of repairs. Yggdrasill's crew was scurrying along the deck like a bunch of wild monkeys, desperate to defend themselves. It was all in vain though.

After a short while, I decided we'd blown enough holes in their ship. The crew reappeared on deck, ready for new orders.

"Prepare to board!" I shouted savagely. Yup, this made pirate life worth while. Even better when you're the captain.

Everyone quickly hurried over to The Oracle, Raine leading the way while shrieking some sort of deranged war cry. I made a mental note to have a serious talk with her when this was all over. Then I decided to follow.

Landing on The Oracle's deck with a soft thud, I glanced around. Most of Yggdrasill's crew was already in battle with my own. Then, I noticed the large red-haired man storming straight towards me, sword drawn. I got ready to defend myself, but was saved the need to, as Harley jumped in front of me to block the attack.

"Head for the brig! We'll hold them off." He said, pushing the assailant back.

"But…" I glanced around again. Genis was battling a short man with purple hair, while Kate attempted to stab the squinty-eyed guy. On the other side of the deck, Raine was trying to force a man with aqua hair and an eyepatch overboard. Botta, it seemed, was having a rather clumsy swordfight with the only woman on the ship.

"Get going!" Harley shouted, charging towards the red-head.

"Right!" I nodded, running off again. I felt bad leaving everyone behind, but the sooner I'd find Kratos, the better.

* * *

After a rather long search, I finally located the brig. Yggdrasill had too many rooms on his ship. Nearly all of them storage rooms filled with things like make-up, shoes and strange disco attires. He seriously needed to find a hobby. 

I quickly descended the stairs, taking in my surroundings. The cells appeared to be empty, but I could faintly hear a sobbing sound coming from nearby. Somebody was sitting in the shadows, his face hidden in his hands.

"Kratos?" I whispered, approaching the cell.

"What?" The person moved into the torchlight to reveal a young boy with rather spiky brown hair. He looked depressed, though I couldn't blame him. Anyone captured by Yggdrasill would be depressed.

"How do you know Kratos?" he asked, staring at me curiously.

"I could ask you the same thing." I said with a frown.

"… He's my dad." The boy spoke.

"Then… You're Lloyd?" I exclaimed, backing away. Kratos' son wasn't killed? Why would Yggdrasill keep an innocent boy in his brig for six years?

"Give me your name, and I shall give you mine." The boy tilted his head slightly, still wearing that curious expression.

"Most people know me as Yuan the blue Renegade." I replied, smiling faintly. I loved acting mysterious from time to time.

"You're _the_ Yuan the blue Renegade?" Lloyd's eyes widened.

"Ah… I'm the only Yuan the blue Renegade I know." I stuttered. Apparently, I was more notorious than I thought.

"Yggdrasill said you were dead." Lloyd crawled closer to the iron bars, trying to determine whether I was a ghost or not.

"Then Yggdrasill is a lying bastard." I crossed my arms with another frown.

"He told Kratos all about how he raped you, just to get on his nerves. Kratos seemed very upset."

I felt myself grow pale, imagining Yggdrasill telling the story with that psychopathic grin of his, going into the tiniest of details while Kratos shuddered in horror. But… One thing didn't add up.

"How did Yggdrasill know?" I asked aloud.

"Know what?" Lloyd questioned.

"About Kratos and me. It's not like I have a relationship with all of my crewmembers." I scratched the back of my head thoughtfully.

"Yggdrasill has a spy in Sybak's research academy. That's how they got away with stealing all that medication." Lloyd shrugged.

I thought back to that time when Kratos and I were at Sybak. That male half-elf who suddenly appeared from the shadows and told us about Yggdrasill… It must've been him! It was all a trap and we fell for it!

"Dammit!" I exclaimed. "When I get my hands on him, I'll-"

"There's no time for that!" Lloyd cut in. "You have to go save Kratos!"

"Where is he?" I asked, glancing around at all the empty cells.

"Yggdrasill took him to his room to… you know…" Lloyd trailed off, looking away anxiously.

"Shit!" I immediately turned and ran off, storming up the stairs again. Yggdrasill was going to do the same thing to Kratos as he'd done to me almost two times now. That perverted asshole! I couldn't let Kratos go through that. Not ever.

"Hey! What about me?" Lloyd called after me, shaking the bars of his cell. Sadly for him, I'd already disappeared.


	19. Screams

((A/N: **Sam:** Here's the 'SEVEN TIMES! Chappie', as Meowzy calls it, for all of you. I must warn you, if you have a weak constitution, you may want to leave the story. Just clicky the back button. If you don't, then enjoy the rap- I mean story.  
**Meowzy:** Little kiddies might want to look away. I'd say this is a nice 16+ chapter.))

* * *

Screams.

Let me sum up my current situation, again. I was about to get raped by Spandex Yggdrasill, wearing a maid outfit. This was not on my 'favorite activities list'. If Yuan was doing the raping then maybe… But right now I had to stall for time.

"Yeah, um, might you have any STD's? Since that would be pretty bad… for me, that is." I said, trying not to look nervous.

"It doesn't really matter much, since you'll be dead."

This is just great. He's going to kill me. Lucky me.

"So why don't you just get it over with and kill me?" I said, defiant against him. Hell, go ahead and kill me. Then maybe I could see my beloved Yuan again.

"Well, number one, I wish to get some pleasure out of you, and there are ways other than a knife to kill a person."

Okay, what was he getting at?

"Your point?"

"Well, it _is_ said that if you pleasure somebody too much in the same night, they'll die. I was thinking we could test that."

My eyes widened. This man… was completely insane! He was going to fuck me until I die! That's it… I have to get out now!

I started to try to release my wrists from the damn rope that bound them, but it was a wasted effort. They had tied it so tight that I couldn't even feel my hands anymore! Dammit, I was _not_ going to die like this!

"I'd stop struggling if I were you, my toy. Perhaps, if you accept it, maybe you can enjoy this."

Enjoy… this? What was he on?

"Never, you sick bastard."

His psychotic smile disappeared and he slapped me hard across the face. Okay, that hurt. Even though he looked like a sissy, he sure didn't hit like one. Or maybe, in a way, he did, if you figure that he just bitch slapped me.

"That's it. I was going to be nice, but not anymore." He growled, laying down on me and sliding his hands up my skirt. Wow… that sounded weird. But anyway, he found what he was looking for pretty quickly and squeezed it, causing me to thrash wildly under him.

"Stop it!" I yelled, trying to buck him off me. He just grinned at me and squeezed harder, causing me to cry out in pain.

"Stop!" I screamed again, but this time he silenced me with a rough kiss, his tongue invading my mouth. I let out a muffled scream but there was nothing I could actually do. He bit my lip and drew his mouth from mine, licking his lips.

"You taste good." He said, deciding to abandon what was in his hands for some reason. I sighed in relief, but it was short lived since he decided to remove my clothes instead. He pulled the maid outfit down my body, sucking my skin as it was exposed. A moan escaped my lips. No, no! I was not enjoying this!

"Are you enjoying this, my toy? Maybe you'll enjoy this too…" he said, grinding his hips against mine. I let out another moan and then immediately shook my head, trying to deny I had just done that.

"Just wait… it gets better."

* * *

An hour and a half later… 

"Please, oh please, stop." I said tiredly. Seven times. Seven times he had fucked me. I would have pondered how he kept this up, but that was the farthest thing from my mind. I had been broken, and hard. The room smelled of semen, blood and sweat, and the sheets were soaked through with all three. My body spasmed and screamed in pain while my eyes were as wide a saucers and I flinched every time he touched me. What hurt me the most was that I had enjoyed it. It was like my body was acting on its own, thrusting, arching, and moaning, even screaming, with pleasure.

Yggdrasill panted lightly, suddenly raising a hand to clutch his injured shoulder. Cursing softly, he reached into a cabinet drawer and pulled out an Apple gel. He quickly gulped it down, which apparently caused the pain to ease.

"Good as new." He said cheerfully.

Well, that explained how he could keep going for so long… I wouldn't say no to an Apple gel myself, but that would probably ruin the 'experiment'.

"Ready for another round, my toy?"

I shook my head furiously.

"Well, like it or not, round eight has begun." He said, laying down on me again and my whole body flinched.

That is, until he began to rub his body against mine. I arched straight into him in pleasure, moaning on the outside, but screaming in pain on the inside. He brought his hands around my back, holding us together as I kept screaming in my head. We fell back to the bed, him wrapping his limbs around me, running his tongue down my collar bone. I moaned louder and screamed louder.

His tongue kept going, across my chest, and up to my neck, where bite marks and hickies dotted my once smooth flesh. He licked my neck, finding a bare spot and biting it. I bucked into him and inclined my head back. I was still screaming on the inside, drowning out all other thoughts.

But then, cannon fire rocked the boat. He removed his mouth and growled, moving himself from on top of me completely. I shivered in relief but the screaming still didn't stop.

He dressed himself and then cut my wrists free.

"I'd better give you a rest, or else you won't be good for more after." He left, locking the door behind him.

I sat up, drawing a sheet around my body, my knees up against my chin. That's when the screaming found a way out of my body. It traveled through my body, piercing the air.

After the screaming stopped, I started to rock back and forth, fingers clutching at the blanket. I still wouldn't stop screaming on the inside.

I think I may have just gone insane…

* * *

((**Meowzy:** That was an awesome chapter Sam! ... Sam? ... Looks like she went into hiding. Ehhh... In that case, leave a review after the beep. -_beep-_)) 


	20. The Blue Renegade

((A/N: **Meowzy:** My turn! I have to say that this chapter is one of the coolest chapters I have ever written. Yup. You'll realize why by the time you get close to the ending. Neheheheh...  
-_sigh_- I had to edit this chapter after ShadowofUndine pointed out a really stupid mistake. So... this is version number two. One line and one random word have been changed.))

* * *

The Blue Renegade.

Just as I was speeding through the hallways below deck, I heard a loud, agonised scream. The voice was filled with hurt. A voice I knew only too well. Was I too late?

Taking a sharp left turn, I found myself facing a plain-looking door. The scream came from inside here. I had to be careful though. If Yggdrasill was still in there, I was toast. I placed an ear against the rough wood, listening intently. The scream had died out, leaving only a faint sobbing sound.

Jiggling the handle silently, I noticed the door had been locked. I leaned forward to examine the lock. It seemed rather futuristic. Much smaller than your average lock. Maybe, just maybe…

I reached into my pocket, pulling out a hairpin. These things always came in handy. I forced it into the lock, keeping an eye out for unwanted visitors. After a bit of wiggling, there was a click. Looked like the lock-picking skills from my childhood were still intact.

Casting one last glance down the hallway, I entered the room and immediately recoiled. The place reeked horribly of all sorts of bodily fluids. Groaning in disgust, I closed the door behind me, my eyes focussed on one thing only.

Kratos was sitting on the bed, slowly rocking back and forth, a dirty sheet wrapped around his body. He looked like a complete wreck. His cheeks were damp with tears and he was horribly pale. As I approached him, he merely stared at me with wide eyes, as though he wasn't quite sure what he was seeing. After all, Yggdrasill had told him I was dead.

"Kratos…" I whispered gently.

He didn't reply, blinking slowly as he continued to rock back and forth. What had Yggdrasill done to him?

"Don't worry. We came to get you." I approached him, pulling him into an embrace. He started to shake heavily, clinging to my shirt.

"Yuan…" he said hoarsely. If anything, it was more like a whimper.

"Shhh…"

I sat down next to him, simply holding him for a while as I ran my fingers through his hair. This… This wasn't the man I knew anymore. I couldn't even begin to imagine what Yggdrasill had done to turn him into this. What he did to me all those years ago was probably nothing compared to this.

"We need to get out of here." I said after a few minutes, breaking the embrace. "Can you walk?"

Kratos shook his head numbly, not meeting my eyes. … Foolish question, obviously.

I pushed myself to my feet, glancing around for Kratos' clothes. They were lying in a corner, next to the ripped remnants of a rather ugly looking maid outfit. Tch, mine was _much_ more flattering. Then, something else caught my eye. Lying on Yggdrasill's desk was a map I knew only too well. The Balacruf map.

I smiled faintly, pocketing it before turning to pick up Kratos' pants. Though, just as I did, the door slammed open.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Yggdrasill stepped into the room, grinning widely. "When I saw your crew of failures, I knew their captain wouldn't be far behind."

"You bastard…" I drew my sword, filled with a rage I'd never felt before. I just wanted to stab Yggdrasill and rip him into tiny little pieces, no matter what it took.

"You lost spectacularly last time. What makes you sure you can win now?" Yggdrasill questioned, before glancing around the room. "Or have you hidden one of your crewmembers here to finish the job for you?"

"Not quite. I'll finish you off myself, if you don't mind." I snarled, stepping forward.

"I don't mind at all." Yggdrasill drew his own sword, taking an offensive position. "I wonder if I can break you in the same way I broke your little human friend? Though he seemed to be enjoying himself for a while."

I snarled viciously, storming forward to take a swipe at him. He easily avoided it, moving his own sword with incredible speed. Before I knew what had happened, I had a slight cut across my left cheek.

"Too easy." Yggdrasill stepped forward, trying to slash at my chest. I managed to hop back just in time.

I had to stay calm. I couldn't let him get to me. The key to sword fighting was outsmarting your opponent. Once you lose yourself in rage or fear, you're done for.

"Soon, my sword will have pierced your dark heart." I spat, raising my weapon again.

"Then you'd better stop waving it around like a feather duster." Yggdrasill replied, smirking. I flinched for a second and he took that chance to take few more slashes at me. I backed away, blocking them. The clashing of steel rang in my ears, making me rather nervous.

"You fool. Nobody's ever defeated me and nobody ever will." He spoke, still forcing me back until I hit the wall.

"You run _that_ fast?" I asked, tilting my head innocently.

Yggdrasill stood frozen for a few seconds and I took my chance. I quickly started to swipe at him, forcing him back again. He only narrowly blocked my attacks.

"I'll kill you now, and blow your ship into a million pieces." I hissed, trying a horizontal slash.

"I'm surprised you can count that high." Yggdrasill ducked just in time to avoid the blade soaring over his head.

I quickly tried to steady myself, but he placed a rather mean kick in my guts. I backed away, clutching my stomach and slammed into the desk. Yggdrasill stepped in front of my readying his sword. I was done for! Unless…

"Oh gods, what's that?" I shouted, quickly snatching a pot of ink and throwing it towards the far wall behind Yggdrasill. It smashed, sending ink everywhere. Yggdrasill, being the moron that he was, whipped around with a confused expression. I hadn't expected that to actually work… But it didn't matter now.

I quickly extended a hand to my belt, pulling a pistol from it. This thing was always loaded. Though, it was rather ancient, considering I'd had it for over five years. I wasn't even sure if it actually worked. I was about to find out…

I readied it with a click, pointing it directly at Yggdrasill's heart. His eyes widened for a second, before he smirked widely. He was laughing at me?

"You're not going to shoot me." He said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Why not?" I questioned, gripping the pistol tightly.

"You're one of those people who likes to play things fair. A soft-hearted no-good who wouldn't even cheat if his life depended on it. You would never shoot your enemy during a swordfight."

"You're obviously not a very good judge of character." I replied, pulling the trigger.

Yggdrasill let out a faint gasp as the bullet shot straight into his heart. Well, what do you know? The pistol _did_ work. I watched the man clutch at his chest as blood started to soak through his shirt. But I didn't wait for him to fall by himself.

I strode forward, reaching out my right hand to seize Yggdrasill by the back of his head. Gripping his lush hair firmly, I pulled him forward, smashing his face into the ground. There was a faint cracking sound.

"Oh, did I just break your nose? Ohwell…"

I pushed myself to my feet again, kicking him in the side one last time as I slipped the pistol back into its holster. A strange feeling of satisfaction filled me as I watched his fingers grasp helplessly at the carpet, his last straws of life escaping him. Then it suddenly stopped, a pool of blood starting to spread around him. I clasped my hands together with a mean chuckle. Man, that felt good!

When I turned to glance at Kratos, the superior grin immediately disappeared from my face again. He looked, if possible, even more freaked out than before. My sudden act of violence had probably confused him. He'd never seen that side of me before, afterall.

"Captain, we- ack!" Raine froze in her steps, followed by the rest of the crew. They all cast a nervous glance at Yggdrasill's lifeless body, before turning to stare at Kratos.

Heh… Talk about awkward.


	21. Porcelain Doll

((A/N: **Meowzy:** Sam has come out of hiding by now, but still refuses to give comments. So uh... Thanks for reviewing and enjoy her next chapter!))

* * *

Porcelain Doll.

I stared at Yuan, not believing what I had just seen. He could be so…violent. Like Yggdrasill… I shook my head at that thought. Yuan was trying to protect me. Right?

I paid no attention to the stares of Yuan's crew, my wide eyes just staring at Yuan. There was an awkward silence that stretched on until Yuan said, "What the hell do you want?"

"Um… We came to give you a report on the ship! Yeah, that's what we came to do, right, Botta?" Raine said, elbowing Botta in the ribs.

"Yeah, that's what we came to do. Um… The ship is our control now, and all of Yggdrasill's crew is knocked out. What else would you like us to do?"

"First of all, could you please get this body out of here? And there's somebody in the brig named Lloyd. We're taking him with us. But whatever you do, _don't_ let him in here. Oh, and tie the unconscious crew to mast, if you haven't already. If you feel the need, go take whatever you want from the treasure room, I don't really care. Now get out." Yuan's voice turned cold and icy and I shivered, even though it wasn't directed at me.

"Yes sir!" Botta all but squeaked, and they hightailed it out of the room with the body. As soon as the door shut, Yuan bent over and picked up my clothes before sitting in front of me on the bed. He stared at me, as if waiting for me to do something. I stared back, not even moving an inch. I had even stopped rocking back and forth now.

Time stretched on and finally, Yuan reached out and began playing with my hair. I made no movement to stop him.

"You're like a doll now. A porcelain doll that's been broken. You don't do anything anymore. You just stare." He could not hide the panic and horror in his voice, edged with fear.

"The man I love isn't in there anymore, is he? He's gone, gone forever. No matter what I do, no matter what I try, he's gone. And it's all my fault…" he buried his face in his hands and started to sob. I wanted to comfort him, help him, but it was like there were walls around my soul, so I couldn't control my body anymore. I just stared.

"If only I hadn't gotten this disease, if only I hadn't even tried to go after the medicine, if only I hadn't even _met_ you! You wouldn't be like this. I would give anything to make sure you were happy. You were always kind to me, and I treated you like dirt. I tried to pretend I was in control, that I could control you. I never was in control of anything. You were the one who was in control, who always took care of me no matter what, and if I was being a jerk to you, you just pretended I wasn't. But I was. I was a total jerk to you."

"Even though I said this before to you, I never really meant it… I realized when Yggdrasill took you that that I really did mean it, deep down in my heart. I love you, Kratos Aurion. I'll take care of you, make sure you're always all right, I'll love you forever and ever, and ever." He said, choking on his words.

I was now trying to break out of the prison I had locked myself in. The screaming grew louder as I caused his pain. It wasn't his fault!

"I love you, my little porcelain doll. I'll love you no matter what, even if you are broken." He said, going back to stroking and playing with my hair, only this time with red-rimmed and puffy eyes with a sad smile. I could only stare.

And the screaming got louder.

* * *

I don't even remember how they got me onto Yuan's ship. I was staring at Yuan the entire time. He kept on stroking my hair and whispering sweet words to me, telling me how everything was going to be all right, and how much he loved me. I didn't even see Lloyd through the entire thing, maybe having kept him away so he didn't have to see me like this. 

I ended up on Yuan's bed, still in the same sheet that I had from Yggdrasill's room, lying down, staring at Yuan. Even though I didn't actually move, my eyes seemed to follow him. He put my clothes down on the bed, and tried to get the sheet off me. My fingers clutched it to me absolutely. He tugged gently, then finally stroking my hair and begging me.

"Please Kratos… I need to look at your wounds." The scratch on his cheek was left untreated and unnoticed, as he worried and fretted over me.

"Please?"

I still did not move. He sighed, realizing that that wasn't going to work, and tried a new tactic.

"Well then at least eat an apple gel. Please?" He held one in front of my mouth, asking me to bite it and eat it. I still did not move.

It was like I was trapped within a prison I built for myself, the horrific images playing out over and over again in my mind's eye, accented by the screaming. Every minute, every second I kept my experiences inside me, I slipped further into a dark abyss. I needed to say them out loud, tell somebody, tell Yuan of the things I went through, let everything out, but I couldn't find my voice. It was like I couldn't get out to say anything, and to get out, I had to say something. It was a vicious cycle that would make sure I drove myself to insanity. There was nothing I could do about it.

And the only person who could help was Yuan.

"Please try to eat it, my little porcelain doll. You'll die if you don't. You'll die if you don't eat anything." He said, continuing to stroke my hair.

He suddenly stood up and said, "I've got to go check on the crew." His voice was strangled, and I could tell he was going to go cry somewhere.

Please don't cry Yuan…

Please don't leave…

Please, I need you…

"Please don't leave…" I whispered, reaching out to grab his sleeve.


	22. Superglue

((A/N: Meowzy: My turn again! Yaaay! Thanks for all the reviews!))

* * *

Superglue.

I froze in my tracks, my breath stopping short. Kratos… had spoken? Then maybe, just maybe, there was still hope. There might still be a chance to fix his broken soul. Though it would need a whole lot of superglue.

I turned to glance at him, watching his sad expression. He seemed desperate for me to stay. Rubbing my puffed eyes with the back of my hand, I sighed helplessly.

"Fine." I said, sitting down next to him again. "But you have to let me get rid of that sheet."

Kratos let go of my sleeve, clutching the filthy rag again.

"Please… You can have a clean one instead." I pleaded.

He still didn't move. I pushed myself to my feet again, wandering over to my wardrobe and pulling out a new sheet, holding it up.

"See? All sparkly and white and non-smelly." I walked back to the bed, placing the sheet over the dirty one.

Kratos hesitated for a second, before releasing the old cloth from his grip. I sighed in relief, pulling it away. Heh, that was kinda like a magic trick.

"Good." Tossing the dirty sheet into a corner, I leaned forward to place a kiss on Kratos' forehead. He didn't respond, now clinging to the clean sheet instead.

I sat down next to him again, stroking his hair. Taking care of Kratos, who was in this state, was horribly depressing. Not even noticing I was pouting, I pulled my feet onto the bed too, not bothering to take off my boots. I placed an arm around Kratos, holding him close. There was still no response.

"Get some sleep, my little doll. I'll watch over you."

It seemed like he was terrified to fall asleep, as he kept his ruby eyes wide open. Though, after a while, he couldn't fight the fatigue off any longer. His eyelids slowly closed as he drifted into a deep slumber.

* * *

As Kratos slept, I managed to cast a quick peek underneath the blanket. He was covered in bruises and dried blood. Though I couldn't do anything about it until he allowed me to do so. It was either waiting for him to let me clean him up, or wrestling the sheet from his grasp, with the chance of causing even more mental damage. 

The mental damage was, at this moment, obviously severe enough. As I watched him sleep, he suddenly started to scream, thrashing around wildly.

"Kratos!" I grabbed him by the shoulders, holding him still. That only seemed to make things worse.

"Kratos, wake up!"

Kratos tossed wildly, trying to fight me off. His screaming was starting to hurt my ears.

"Pet!"

He instantly froze, the screaming stopping quite abruptly. Pale and sweaty, he opened his eyes to glance up at me. I stared back with a worried expression. He whimpered softly, burying his face in my chest as I held him close again. This was going to take a _very_ long time.

Then, there was a knock at the door, causing us both to jump slightly.

"Captain? Everything okay in there?" came Botta's voice.

"Ah, yes! We're fine!" I called back.

"Uhm… That boy named Lloyd wants to speak with you." Botta said awkwardly.

"Tell him I'm busy." I gazed down at Kratos, running my fingers through his hair.

"He says that if you don't come out, he'll break the door down."

"Ugh… I'll be out in a minute." I sighed, giving Kratos one last hug before breaking away.

The human gasped, reaching out to grab my shirt again. I smiled, hoping it would assure him.

"I'll only be gone for a little while. I'll be back before you know it."

Kratos continued to stare, not letting go.

"Come on. I need to go talk to Lloyd. He's probably wondering if you're okay." I continued.

Still not getting much of a response, I gently grabbed his wrist and pulled it away from my shirt.

"I'll be back soon. I promise."

Turning away from the bed, I wandered over to the mirror to see if my hair looked okay. Frankly, I looked like a total mess. There was still dried blood on my cheek and my hair was slightly curled.

After freshening up, I picked up the dirty sheet, opened the door and glanced back at Kratos one last time.

"See you soon, my little porcelain doll."

* * *

The old sheet was quickly dumped overboard. The sooner I got rid of that, the better. Just as I turned to look for Lloyd, I found him standing next to me. 

"What's that?" he asked, pointing at the sheet that was slowly sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

"A dirty sheet, obviously." I replied.

"Was there blood on it?"

"No. That was... ketchup." I lied.

"I'm seventeen, you know. I'm not stupid." Lloyd frowned. "Where's my father? Can I see him?"

"Ah, no. I'd rather that you didn't." I looked away blankly.

"Why not?"

"He's in a pretty bad state right now. Seeing you would only make him feel worse."

"I'm his son!" Lloyd argued.

"It's more complicated than that." I sighed. "If he knew you saw him like that, he'd only feel… ashamed. Plus, it might be better for you not to see him like that."

"But I-"

"Trust me on this, okay? I'll give him your regards though." I turned to leave, bumping into Kate instead.

"Ah, captain…" she stepped back, looking a bit nervous. "The crew was wondering where we're going next. We can't keep drifting here forever."

"Set a course for the base. We all need a good rest." I ordered, trying to finish this conversation as quickly as possible.

"Aye-aye." Kate gave a curt nod. "Are you-"

"I'm fine." I said shortly, already guessing what she was going to ask.

"Ah, right. Okay." Kate quickly walked off.

I watched her go, before returning to my cabin. I let out a soft groan as I saw Kratos, curled up like a shivering cat underneath the blanket. This was going to take a very, very long time.


	23. The Final Piece

((A/N: **Meowzy:** We're nearing the end of the fic, peoples! But doesn't mean we don't have plenty of stuff in store for you. Neheheh... Sam has come out of hiding, but... It seems she's gone missing now. So I'll just upload her next chapter already.))

* * *

The Final Piece.

Yuan approached me, a sad smile on his face and stroked my cheek, whispering, "I'm back, my little porcelain doll. I won't be leaving for a while, okay? You don't have to be lonely anymore." He said, sitting down on the bed, and pulling his boots off. I wasn't worried about being lonely… on the outside.

He lay down next to me, curling up against my body and wrapping his arms around me. He felt so warm… but that thought brought back memories that I was trying to push down. I didn't return the hug, just shivered in his grasp.

He gently laid a kiss on my forehead, saying to me, "It will all be all right, Kratos. We'll be at my base soon and I'll take care of you. Even if I have to give up pirating forever, I'll take care of you."

That shocked me. Yuan, giving up on being a pirate? That was just… wrong. Yuan was meant to be one and I shouldn't hold him back.

I reached up and stroked his cheek where he was scratched, flicking away some dried blood that he had missed. Even when I was injured and hurting inside, I still had the overwhelming sense to take care of the small half-elf in front of me, like I was his mother. It was a wonderful yet scary feeling. I couldn't describe how, but it was.

I finally found my voice and said, "Don't."

Yuan looked at me and said, "What?"

"Don't… give up pirating… just for me. I'm not… worth it…" I said, struggling with my voice. It wanted to not be used. But I did anyway.

"Kratos… you're more than worth it. Even though you might think you're worthless now because of what happened to you, I'll never think you're worthless, ever. You're worth everything to me. And that's the truth." A single tear slid down his cheek. He was crying again? He shouldn't cry…

I wiped the tear away with my thumb. And met with those emerald eyes. I immediately buried my head in his chest. I couldn't stand to look at those beautiful, pure eyes anymore. Somehow they made me feel dirty, unclean, like I was sinful. The only thing that was sinful was what was done to me. But it still made me feel like that.

He seemed to get what was wrong with me, since he pulled me closer, whispering in my ear, "You are not unclean, you are perfect. I love you just the way you are, my little porcelain doll."

I shook in his grasp as he ran his hand up and down my back, hitting the scratches and wounds that he didn't know were there. I yelled in pain and he stopped.

"It hurts… don't…" I said, shaking. For some reason my hold on the sheet was released, and he gently pulled it down so that my upper body was visible. A gasp of horror came from him as he fingered some of the bruises and cuts.

Hands now free, I clung to the back of his shirt, like he had done not too long ago, even though it seemed ages away. I felt him reach over and grab a handful of apple gels, puncturing one with his fingernail and starting to rub it onto my wounds on my back. I could see he had a limited supply and he was healing me where it hurt me the most. I sighed as I felt the nail marks heal up and the hurting in my back stop.

"Where else does it hurt?" Yuan asked me.

"It hurts everywhere. Especially here." I said, placing one hand over my heart.

He cupped my face and said, "I'll make it stop. I'll make the hurting stop, you just have to trust me." He said, catching my lips in a passionate kiss.

What was he doing? I tried to pull away, but he held me close, trying to get me to join in. For some reason, the hurting lessened, and so did the screaming. I finally did participate, feeling my broken soul piece together a bit. He broke apart, stroking my sides. The memories did not rise inside of me, because Yuan's warmth was different. It was real, not the fake artificial warmth Yggdrasill used to play with me.

"Let me help you. Let me release the pain. Make good memories and replace the bad ones. Trust me, my porcelain doll, trust me." He said, gently moving closer.

I knew what he was talking about and it scared me out of my mind. … For a little while. The more I thought about it… the more I wanted it. I needed a release, to be released from those haunting memories, to just remember Yuan and only Yuan, stroking my skin, kissing and nuzzling me all over, his naked body pressed up against mine, our curves fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle. For that's what he was. The final piece in the puzzle. The part that completed me. The part of my soul that I was always missing, the key piece in putting it back together.

I love him… and I'll love him forever. I do not fear him; he will do what is best for me. I do not fear what he is suggesting; my lover is gentle and kind. The only thing I fear is fear itself. Even after what has happened to me, I do not fear anything.

He can make it all go away. The pain, the screams, the feeling of uncleanliness. He can make it all go away; just replace it with his love. His pure love.

I looked up at him, those calm, serene emerald eyes looking down at me with complete love and adoration in them and nodded. He pulled me closer still, gently undoing his shirt. No turning back now. But I didn't really want to turn back, did I?

The rest happened at a slow yet quick pace, if that was even possible. I can only describe it one way… Two bodies and hearts intertwined together in passionate love and complete bliss.


	24. Back To Base

((A/N: **Meowzy**: -_coughs_- Darnit, I got a cold! Anyway, thanks for all the reviews up to now! -_sniff_- We're nearing the end, I guess.))

* * *

Back To Base.

"I can't do it."

After a fairly short journey, we'd arrived at the Flanoir base. This, of course, meant the inevitable. Kratos would have to leave my cabin. He seemed rather reluctant to leave his newfound safety zone. I even had to dress him, as if he was my own personal doll.

"Sure you can. It's just a short walk to my quarters." I assured him, kneeling in front of him and fastening his cloak as he sat on my bed.

"But…" Kratos looked away sadly.

"I'll be by your side the entire time." I said, getting to my feet and extending a hand.

Kratos hesitated, staring at it.

"Trust me." I smiled down at him gently.

"Alright." He said, taking my hand and allowing me to pull him to his feet. He staggered for a moment, grunting in pain.

Sighing, I pulled him closer and let him lean on my shoulder. He obviously still couldn't stand by himself.

"Let's go." I whispered, heading for the door. On the way, I grabbed my hat from the coat rack. I noticed Kratos was eyeing it, a strange look in his eyes. Since when did he have an obsession with hats?

We arrived on deck to find the rest of the crew already busy unloading the ship. They all looked away, not daring to stare at us. Kratos nervously clung to my arm, his eyes shifting around blankly.

"Don't worry. We'll just- Uhoh." I interrupted myself in mid-sentence as I saw Lloyd running towards us at top speed.

The boy came to a sudden full stop, accompanied by a loud shout of "Dad!" as he wrapped his arms around Kratos. The man flinched in pain but didn't dare make a move to push Lloyd away. Lucky for him, I'd noticed.

"Alright, alright, back off. Give him some room to breathe." I said, tapping Lloyd on the shoulder.

"Oh, right. Sorry." Lloyd broke the embrace again, stepping back. He was smiling cheerfully. "I'm so glad to see you're alright. The way Yuan was talking, I thought you were dying."

Heh, the poor ignorant fool. If only he knew…

"As you can see, he's not. So if you'll excuse us…" I made to leave again, but Lloyd stopped us.

"Wait! Where are you going?" he asked desperately.

"My quarters." I said, raising a hand to point to the third level of the base, where the captain's quarters lay.

"What about me?" Lloyd demanded.

Damn kid. Why couldn't he just leave us alone?

"Ah… Well, you can sleep in the crew cabins for the moment. I'm sure Genis will take you there." I turned my head to locate the white-haired boy. He was standing on the boarding plank. "Genis!" I roared, immediately getting his attention.

"Yes, captain?" he asked, stepping onto the ship.

"Lead Lloyd to the crew cabins and find him a bed. You can give him a tour of the base if you want to." I ordered.

Genis gave Lloyd a blank stare. It was one of those stares that said 'But this guy is an idiot!'. Of course, nearly everyone was an idiot to Genis.

"Aye, captain." The boy sighed tiredly. He beckoned Lloyd to follow him.

We watched the two walk off, a feeling of relief rushing through me. Still, this was only temporary. Pretty soon, the kid would be stampeding through the base. Maybe we could ditch him on a deserted island when Kratos wasn't looking.

Speaking of which… Kratos shifted his weight on my shoulder, apparently eager to move on.

"Alright. Let's try this again." I sighed, starting to walk again.

Of course, peace was hard to come by. We'd only just made it to the docks when we were approached by Botta.

"Sir, I have to talk to you." He said softly.

"Can't it wait?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"It's just that… the crew seems to be getting pretty… Well, mutiny is a big word, but…" Botta trailed off, apparently trying to find the right words.

"You're thinking we should motivate the crew to keep them happy?" I concluded.

"Well, yes." Botta nodded curtly.

"But we only just got here! I know I already promised them we'd go to Altamira soon, but… We need a rest and that place is quite the opposite of peaceful."

I noticed Botta was smiling faintly, not staring at me, but rather something _behind_ me. I cast him an enquiring look, but he ignored it.

"Aye, sir. I'll try to keep the crew from resorting to hasty measures." Botta gave a short salute before walking off.

I raised an eyebrow, wondering what that was that all about. Then I absentmindedly ran a hand through my hair.

"Wait… Where's my hat?" I asked aloud, glancing around on the floor to see if I'd dropped it.

Eventually, my gaze went up and came to rest on Kratos. He was looking away innocently. Though I had to admit, my hat looked really handsome on him. Almost like he was meant to be a pirate.

"You can keep it." I sighed, feeling myself melt at the mere sight of him.

Kratos turned to give me a cheerful smile. It was the first time he'd smiled since… Well… I'd hardly _ever_ seen him smile, actually. So this was a real step forward, I'd say.

"Okay, this time nothing will stop us." I spoke determinedly, pulling Kratos closer and setting off towards my quarters again.

* * *

((**Meowzy:** Awww... Cute!)) 


	25. The Problem With Halfelves

((A/N: **Sam**: Um, second to last chapter? Unless it takes us too long to tie this last plottwist up?  
**Meowzy:** I doubt that'll be a problem. But we can never be too sure.))

* * *

The Problem With Half-elves.

Nothing else did stop us. We made it to Yuan's quarters quite quickly, and I immediately flopped down on the bed, sighing. Everything right now made my head spin.

Yuan walked over to me, noticing my look, and said, "Don't think. You're going to make your head explode."

He earned a chuckle from me, but I looked out the window at the snow falling down and the beautiful ocean spread out in the horizon, and zoned out, thinking of everything that brought me here.

Running away from that girl, bumping into Yuan's ship, becoming his personal servant, having a secret affair with him, having a not-so secret affair with him, getting a sexually transmitted disease from him, curing the sexually transmitted disease, getting captured after finally accepting I was a pirate, and… well, you get the drift.

A lot has happened in a little while. I only thought things like this happened in fairy tales, but I guess not. It can happen in real-life. Maybe that's how fairy tales were created. People sharing their lifetime experiences with the world. Perhaps I should do that, when I'm better. Write not just my story, but Yuan's as well. Our story.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by Yuan waving his hand in front of my face, asking, "You haven't gone all not-talking on me again, have you?"

I shook my head.

"Good. I was going to ask, since you've been staring out the window, would you like to go outside on my balcony?"

He has a balcony?

"Um…okay." I said, getting up stiffly. He grabbed my hand and led me out what seemed like a window but was a door with a balcony. I shivered a bit. It was really cold out here, but the view was fantastic.

"Aw, is my poor little pet cold?" Yuan said with a smirk, wrapping his arms around me.

"Can't you think of anything original?"

"Why think of something original when you can have the best?"

I sighed. Sometimes Yuan was quite sneaky. I stood there, with his arms wrapped around me, looking out into the cold night air, just reveling in the silence and beauty of it all. Until a voice from the past blasted me from my calmness.

"OHHHHHHH, KRATTIE-CHAN!"

It's that fangirl! She was standing down underneath the balcony, with a wedding dress and a bouquet of flowers.

"Who is she?" Yuan said, his voice thick with jealousy.

"That's the crazy fangirl that chased me out to sea in a washtub. She wants to marry me, even though I keep telling her that I'm not interested."

"Really? Then I think it's time she got the message." Yuan said, cracking his knuckles.

"Yuan, you're not going to…?"

My question fell on thin air as Yuan was already out the door. Next thing I knew, the girl was screaming at the top of her lungs, yelling, "Krattie-chan! Save me from this vicious half-elf!"

That statement sparked a little flame in my brain, but not from her plea. _Half-elf…_

Yuan was a half-elf. He would live to be at least ten times my age. We could only be together for a small part in his lifespan, a blink for him. Did he know that? Or had he forgotten?

The girl was eventually chased off, much to Yuan's satisfaction, and when he walked in, I resolved to ask him the question everybody hates. How old are you?

"Yuan?"

"Hmm?" He stood right next to me, putting an arm around me.

"How old are you?"

He immediately tensed, drawing away from me. "Old enough."

I could tell he was touchy about his age. But still I prodded him.

"Yuan…"

"Yuan what? Just because I have an age doesn't mean I will tell you!" He snapped.

My lower lip trembled and my eyes stung with tears. He didn't have to be yell at me. That hurt.

"Oh… oh, I didn't mean that. Shhh, I'm sorry." He said, hugging me.

"I just wanted to know how old you are…"

"If it will make you feel better, -and it probably won't, it will only make you feel worse- I'm one-hundred and fifty-eight years old."

It didn't make me feel better, just as he said. I pulled away, suddenly not comfortable with him near me, only to be knocked off my feet by something crashing into the base.

A loud yell of "Oops! Sorry!" came from outside. I decided to walk away to look out the other window to see what it was and to get away from Yuan. He noticed it, but didn't follow me. I'd hurt him, badly. And just when we had gotten back together. I always mess up. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Then, a knock on the door. Yuan answered it and it was Botta, who had seemed to have ran all the way to our-wait, _his_ room.

"Sir, it seems a ship has crashed into our base. You have to come see."

"All right." He grabbed his cape and swished out the door. He didn't even look back. I took that opportunity to sink to the floor and cry.

Dammit.


	26. The Problem With Humans

((A/N: **Meowzy:** Okay, here we go. The last _real_ chapter of Pirates of Symphonia. But do not despair, because after this there will be an epilogue and a super special bonus chapter. Yaaay!))

* * *

The Problem With Humans.

I followed Botta to the docks, shaking lightly. Kratos had asked me for my age and I'd given it to him. I knew he would be shocked. Shocked that I'd had such a 'long' life before him. Shocked that I'd probably outlive him many times too. I knew I wouldn't be able to enjoy his presence forever. Still, the response I got from him left me feeling quite gloomy and secluded. Stupid humans…

We finally arrived on the first level of the base, where a rather strange group was waiting for us. There was a girl with long blonde hair, staring guiltily at the place where a ship had rammed its way through our wall. Next to her was a man with wild blue hair, who had his hand shackled together for some strange reason. A small girl with two pink pigtails was glancing around, a calculative expression on her face. Then, there was a girl with raven-black hair and a rather large chest. But none of them were as strange as the man who appeared to be their leader. A guy in his early twenties with long, curly red hair and a pink outfit. He was also wearing a large top hat.

"Yo hunny!" the weird cross dresser called loudly. "Are you the owner of this rundown little cave?"

I glared heavily. '_Rundown little cave_'?

"Sorry to barge in like this. Our helmswoman lost control of the ship." He turned to glance at the blonde girl.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!" the girl said desperately.

"Uhm… If this is a hostile pirate takeover, shouldn't we be battling to the death?" I asked with a frown.

"Hostile pirate takeover?" the girly guy echoed, before chuckling. "No, no, you misunderstood us. We're not fellow pirates. We're a travelling circus. See, that's my ship, The Gay Prancer." He raised a hand to indicate the large ship that was still lodged through our wall.

For a second, I thought I might've misheard. But one glance at the bow told me that my ears were working just fine. The ship was indeed called 'The Gay Prancer'.

"This is my first mate and acrobat, Sheena." The redhead continued, indicating the girl with tied-back black hair standing next to him.

"Yo." The girl waved merrily.

"Our helmsman nicknamed Colette The Clown. For good reason."

The blonde girl laughed nervously, until she suddenly managed to trip while standing and fell to the ground with a crash. I wasn't sure whether it was part of her act or not, but decided to laugh along with the others anyway.

"Our navigator and animal tamer, Presea." The redhead pointed to the smart looking girl, who didn't reply.

"Eh… She looks nice." I said awkwardly, also not getting much of a response.

"Don't mind her. She's always deep in thought. Oh, our juggler Regal." The girly guy pointed to the shackled man.

"He can juggle while his hands are shackled together?" I asked, my eyes widening. "I'm impressed."

"Ohoh, but the best is yet to come." The redhead grinned. "I'm their captain, ringmaster and masterful magician, the great Zelos Wilder!"

Reaching into his sleeve, he pulled out a bouquet of roses and held it out to me. Luckily, I knew better than to accept flowers from a completely insane stranger.

"No thanks." I grunted.

"Now, I think we should discuss repairs. We're more than willing to help rebuild that wall if you help us free our ship." Zelos spoke, making the roses disappear with a poof. "Of course, there will be monetary compensation involved."

"Or we could just kill you all and steal whatever cash you have on your ship." I suggested, my hand moving to my sword.

"But can you really repair that wall without us? We circus folk are also excellent builders, you know." Zelos said, pulling a long wooden cane from his pants and prodding me with it, for some reason.

"Okay, fine." I spoke, deciding to let him live. After all, the world needed more morons and weirdoes like this group.

* * *

Soon, The Gay Prancer had been backed up and the outer wall of my base repaired. Both crews were sitting around a table in the base's bar, exchanging funny anecdotes, as was the custom. 

"And then the pie blinded Regal and his juggling pins crashed into the animal cage, unlocking the door. Boy, what a chaotic night that was." Zelos spoke, as Colette giggled nervously in the background and Regal shuddered at the memory.

"Yes, I can imagine…" I spoke uninterestedly.

"So anyway, we should be on our way soon. I just have one request." The ringmaster said.

"A request?" I questioned.

"Got any humans?" Zelos glanced around the table eagerly.

"Why?"

"We're looking for someone to sell tickets and snacks. Besides, Regal's been having trouble holding the mop lately, so deck swabbing is getting awfully hard." Zelos scratched the back of his head thoughtfully.

"Nope, sorry. This is a half-elf crew." I spoke, shrugging lightly.

"Well, what's that then?" the redhead pointed to the door behind me, where Kratos was standing.

"Oh, that's… That's… Excuse me for a moment, will you?"

I got to my feet and headed outside, grabbing Kratos as I went. Quickly closing the door behind me, I turned to face him.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"I came to see what was going on…" Kratos responded, staring at the floor.

"You stumbled down here in your condition?" I had to admit, I was impressed.

The human shrugged in response, though it seemed to cause him mild pain. I sighed sadly, deciding there wasn't any other option. I had to do what was best for my pet.

"Well, there's this group of humans here. They're looking for a new crewmember so… If you want to leave, I'm not going to stop you."

"W-what?" he looked up, slightly startled.

"I'm releasing you from your duty as personal pet. You obviously can't stand being with a half-elf, so…" I broke off, my voice shaking.

"N-no!" Kratos lunged forward, wrapping his arms around my chest. "I _do_ want to be with you! Even if I'm just a small fragment of your life. Even if you'll live on to forget about me…"

"I won't." I said immediately, holding him close. "Even if I live to be a thousand years old, I'll never forget you. You'll always have a place in my heart."

"Then… Why are we having this conversation?" Kratos asked, looking into my eyes.

"I figured that you'd much rather be with your own kind. That the pirate life is too tough for you." I smiled faintly.

"I love the pirate life. I wouldn't go back for anything." The auburn-haired man whispered, leaning forward to kiss my lips. He always tasted so wonderful…

After about a minute we broke off, panting. "Well, let's get back."

Just then, Lloyd rounded a corner and came running towards us.

"Whoah, sorry I'm late. I was asleep. Hey, what's going on?" the boy asked.

"Ehhh…" Both Kratos and I looked away. Luckily, we were spared the need to answer when the door to the bar nearly slammed into our faces.

"Ooooh, look at the cute boy!" Zelos called, running outside, followed by both crews.

"Cute boy? Where?" Lloyd glanced around blankly.

"Hey kid, repeat after me. 'Would you like popcorn with that?'." The ringmaster said, glancing at Lloyd with a thoughtful expression.

"Uhm… Would you like popcorn with that?" Lloyd asked, unsure what was going on.

"He's perfect!" Zelos squealed, pulling the boy into a tight embrace. Lloyd blushed heavily. "Can I have this one?" the redhead asked, turning to face me again with a hopeful look on his face.

I exchanged a quick glance with Kratos, who smiled and nodded.

"Sure. He's all yours." I said with a smirk.

"Yay!" Zelos hugged the boy again. "I shall call him Hunny and he shall be my hunny!"

"Wait! What's going on?" Lloyd cast a helpless glance around the base, hoping someone might come to his rescue. Unfortunately, everyone was too busy laughing.

"Come on hunny. You can start mopping right now." Zelos grabbed the boy by his collar and dragged him to the boats. "I bet you'd look awesome in a maid's outfit."

"Ahhh! Dad, help me!" Lloyd shrieked.

"Don't worry son. We'll come visit you next time the circus is in town." Kratos called with a wicked smile.

Soon, The Gay Prancer had departed again, taking Kratos' only son with it. Peace and quiet at last. I moved closer to the human, wrapping an arm around his waist and resting my head on his shoulder.

"Just to let you know, you're still not my pet anymore." I spoke after a moment of silence.

"I'm not?" he sounded mildly disappointed.

"No. You're a pirate."


	27. Epilogue

((A/N: **Meowzy:** The epilogue has been written by our very own Sam. All credit of the epilogue goes to her. Yup.  
**Sam:** Shall I start running for the hills now?  
**Meowzy:** Sure. It'll give you a headstart.))

* * *

Epilogue.

Everybody was gathered at Meltokio Square for the hanging of a prisoner. He had been captured a week ago, and was already being put to death, just in case he managed to find out a way to escape. He was quite the escape artist, having escaped the jail twice already.

At promptly ten in the morning, he was marched from the jail cell underneath the coliseum to the square. Along the way though, there was a little… occurrence.

A girl stood by the side of the road, crying and crying, looking at pieces of porcelain on the ground. Even though the guards told the prisoner to keep marching, he stopped to watch the little girl. After a moments pause, he walked over to her, amid the yelling of the soldiers. He squatted down, looking at the little girl, who stopped crying and looked back.

"What happened?" he asked her, picking up some of the pieces.

"Some mean boy… he smashed my dollie. He was being mean to me. Now my little dollie's all broken and I don't know what to do!"

The prisoner chuckled.

"Well, you take the pieces and you put them all back together, using superglue. I remember when my porcelain doll was broken by a mean boy. It took a bit more than superglue to fix him, but with a little love and a little care, anything can be fixed." He said, taking the pieces he had picked up in his rough hands and putting them in the girl's.

"Thanks, Mister!" She said, beaming happily. He was about to get up when the girl tugged at his sleeve.

"What happened to your dollie, mister?"

The prisoner smiled wistfully.

"He passed away, a long time ago. That's what you get for falling in love with a human. Short life spans, you know? But I wouldn't have missed it for the world. But… I digress. There's only one way to see him now. The gallows. Which I have a date with in a few short minutes. Take care of yourself, kid, and always remember what I told you." He said, standing up, patting the girl on the head and walking away, the guards scurrying after him, still wondering what had happened.

"Wait! Mister! What's your name?"

He turned around.

"Yuan… Yuan the Blue Renegade."

"Then, I hope we meet again Mister Yuan the Blue Renegade!" She didn't comprehend what the gallows were or what was about to happen to her newfound friend.

"Perhaps." He said, smiling at her, and started to walk away. Soon, the gallows were in sight. Yuan raised his head up to the cloudless blue sky.

_My little porcelain doll, my Kratos… I'll be there with you shortly. Wait for me…_

* * *

((**Meowzy:** Stay tuned for the super special extra random bonus chapter!)) 


	28. Bonus Chapter

((A/N: **Meowzy:** And now... It's time for the Super Random Extra Special Bonus chapter! Also known as the Bonus chapter. This chapter is not to be taken seriously in any way. It's just meant to be one big parody. Therefore, don't think that it actually fits in with the storyline or anything. Sam and me came up with the idea while we were feeling corny. It's based on our favourite song. (that pretty much inspired us to write this entire fic). We don't own 'A pirate I was meant to be' from Monkey Island three. And those PotC references, we don't own those either. Enjoy!))

* * *

Bonus chapter.

A tall man with long blonde hair stood on The Seraph's deck. He looked completely soaked and extremely unhappy.

"Yggdrasill!" Kratos shouted wildly, hiding behind Yuan.

"How? We sent you straight to Davy Jones' locker!" Yuan exclaimed, slightly dumbstruck.

Yggdrasill looked up, smirking widely. "Ever met the guy? He's actually pretty nice. And similar to me, in a way."

"What do you mean?"

"When you shot me in the heart, you forgot one little detail. I don't _have_ a heart! All you did was piss me off by breaking my nose!" Yggdrasill placed his hands on his hips, narrowing his eyes.

"We also tossed you overboard." Yuan added.

"Yeah, that too." Yggdrasill nodded.

"What do you want?" Yuan demanded angrily.

"That map. I don't get why you people continue to try and steal it. It's mine you know." Yggdrasill gave a slight wave of his hand.

"No it's not! _My_ name is on it!" Yuan argued.

"So? Names don't mean squat to me. Hand it over." Yggdrasill held out his hand.

"No." Yuan stepped back defiantly, nearly tripping over Kratos.

"Hand it over." Yggdrasill said again, more forcefully.

"No."

"Suit yourself." Yggdrasill unsheathed his sword and cut Yuan's belt with one swift move. The blue Renegade's pants immediately fell to his ankles.

"Ah!" Yuan blushed heavily, reaching down to pull his pants up again. Too bad everyone had already seen his heart-patterned underwear.

Yggdrasill stepped forward, pressing his sword against Yuan's throat while Kratos whimpered fearfully behind him. "Hand it over."

"Fine." Yuan held out the map with one hand, clutching his pants with the other.

"Always a pleasure doing business with you." Yggdrasill smirked. He walked back to the railing and did a somersault onto The Oracle's deck, which was parked next to The Seraph.

"Bye bye now!"

And with that, Yggdrasill was gone again.

"Phew, I thought we were done for." Kratos sighed, wiping his forehead.

"Yeah, thanks a lot for your help guys." Yuan growled, turning to his crew. The entire gang was on deck, sunbathing in lawn chairs.

"Pass the lotion." Harley said to Raine, extending a hand without looking up.

"Consider it passed." Raine said, also not looking up as she blindly handed Harley a bottle of suntan lotion.

"Oh, come _on_! I promise we _will_ go to Altamira this time!" Yuan called desperately.

"Fine, fine. We'll help you out again." Genis sighed, as the crew sat up, taking off their sunglasses. They crowded around Kratos and Yuan.

"That's more like it!" Yuan said happily. "You know, this reminds me of a song…"

"A what?" Kratos repeated blankly. His question was answered when a random accordion tune started playing.

"We're a band of vicious pirates," Yuan began.

"A-sailin' out to sea!" Botta sang.

"When you hear our gentle singing…" Harley trailed off.

"You'll be sure to turn and flee!" Raine shrieked.

"Oh, this is just ridiculous…" Kratos groaned, as the crew started to do a little dance. "Come on guys! We've got to recover that map!"

"That pirate will be done for when he falls into our trap!" Genis sang.

"We're a club of tuneful rovers," Kate called.

"We can sing in every clef!" Harley continued.

"We can even hit the high notes!" Raine half screamed.

"It's just too bad we're tone-deaf!" Yuan sang in an insanely high voice.

"A pirate I was meant to be! Trim the sails and roam the sea!" they all sang, dancing completely off tune.

"Let's go defeat that evil pirate." Kratos suggested, hoping to snap the crew out of their song.

"We know he's sure to lose cause we know just where to fire at!" Botta sang.

"We're thieving balladeers." Harley smirked widely.

"A gang of cutthroat mugs." Genis moved a finger across his throat

"To fight us off you don't need guns," Raine shook her head.

"Just really good earplugs!" Kate screamed.

"A pirate I was meant to be, trim the sails and roam the sea!" the entire crew sang loudly, causing Kratos to cover his ears.

"No time for songs! We've got to move!" the human said angrily.

"The battle will be long but our courage we will prove!" Yuan grabbed Kratos and pulled him into the dance too.

"We'll fight you in the harbour," Genis drew his sword.

"We'll battle you on land." Botta added, cowering at the sight of the sharp blade.

"But when you meet singing pirates…" Kate began.

"They'll be more than you can stand." Kratos said grumpily.

"Ohh, that was a good one!" Yuan squealed, pulling Kratos into a hug.

"No, it wasn't." the human huffed. "I'm getting so sick of you guys and your rhyming…"

"We're ready to set sail, though the cannons need a priming." Raine sang, pointing to the cannons.

"If ye try to fight us," Genis began.

"You will get a nasty whacking." Harley finished, cracking his knuckles.

"If ye disrespect our singing…" Raine started with a frown.

"We will feed ya to a kraken!" Yuan called cheerfully.

"A pirate I was meant to be, trim the sails and roam the sea!" the gang shrieked loudly.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Kratos shouted, trying to break free from the dancing.

"The brass is what we'll polish and the deck is what we'll mop!" Botta sang, as Yuan pulled Kratos back by his hair.

"You say you're nasty pirates,  
scheming thieving badbush whackers?  
From what I've seen I'll tell you,  
you're not pirates, you're just slackers!" the man sang, pushing Yuan away.

"A pirate I was meant to be, trim the sails and roam the sea!" the entire crew jeered.

"We'll surely avoid scurvy if we all eat an orange." Kratos said calmly, smirking widely as he crossed his arms.

"And…" Yuan trailed off.

"Uhm…" Harley scratched the back of his head thoughtfully.

"Well…" Genis thought deeply.

"Errr…" Raine crossed her arms, frowning.

"Door hinge?" Botta suggested.

"No, no." Kate shook her head.

"Guess the song's over then." Yuan sighed, as the accordion music fizzled out.

"Guess so…" Genis nodded slowly.

"Okay, back to work." Yuan grunted.

The entire crew slumped off, looking rather crestfallen.

"Well, gee, I feel a little guilty now." Kratos said to himself.

Just then, Yuan entered the storage room and a girly scream was heard. He came running onto the deck again, glancing around desperately. "Why is the rum gone?"

* * *

((**Meowzy:** I bet you were waiting for that one since the fic started, eh? Neheheheh... Anyway, this is where the story ends.  
**Sam:** Thanks for reading and reviewing. This is actually the most reviews I've gotten on a story. That's awesome.  
**Meowzy:** Yup, I agree with Sam. Thanks for reading all the way to the end. We hope you enjoyed this fic!)) 


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